


To Spoil My Soul with Fire

by KillJoy_Juniper



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha!Erwin, Alpha!Mike, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Anxiety, Blow Jobs, Depression, Knotting, M/M, Mentions of miscarriage, Minor Character Death, Nightmares, Omega!Levi, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Porn With Plot, Scenting, Slow Burn, Smut, all the big gays, healing from accident, mike and erwin are married, past trauma, then they fall in love with a little gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2020-10-20 19:22:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20680622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillJoy_Juniper/pseuds/KillJoy_Juniper
Summary: Tell me who you really loveTell me who you really loveTell me who you really loveWho are you to take over my mindwith your eyes on meAll for you I am climbing the skyof golden greenAngel green and blueI'm gonna leave my mind with youIt's coming at, it's coming at, it's coming at my heartI know, I see, I wanna be just freeI know, it craves, it's running through my veinsTo spoil my soul with fire- Anges Obel "Golden Green"This story is going to be beta read by the most amazing, glorious @Felicity_Reid_ on Twitter <3 <3 <3 <3 I couldn't do this without her, y'all, I really couldn't. I love you!!!!





	1. Mahogany and Pine

Singing. An angelic voice gently woke Levi from his slumber in one of the few ways that wouldn’t cause immediate grumpiness. He did his best to lie still because if he was caught listening, the lovely humming in between words might stop. His eyes flickered open into a squint, adjusting to the sunlight that had filtered through the curtains as the morning started. The sheets were soft under his stomach and the thick blankets kept the coolness of the room at bay.

The clock told Levi that it was just before lunch time. Someone had let him sleep in, but it was greatly appreciated. The bedroom door was open, but no sounds filtered in from the rest of the apartment. There was a third set of breaths present, a light apple scent balancing with the mint one Levi loved so much. He could hear the sound of hands against fabric and a light muffled snoring. A smile graced his face because he loved easy mornings like this, even if Isabel was in their bed.

His breathing must have been noticeable, or maybe it was his scent growing stronger with waking up, because gentle fingers wove through his messy bun. Farlan’s voice was a bit softer as he softly scratched Levi's scalp before pulling the band out to let the messy, long hair fall around his shoulders. Levi let out a soft hum when fingers tugged through the strands, detangling as he went along. The mint scent of the alpha rolled a bit stronger to greet him.

“Good morning.”

“Mmm. More like afternoon, isn’t it?” Levi smiled when Farlan laughed softly.

“Well, it was morning when Izzy made her way in here and you are just waking up, so I call that morning.” Farlan took a handful of his hair and tugged softly, beckoning Levi to roll over. “Come here.”

Levi grunted in mock protest but softly adjusted his body, careful not to let the blankets slip from his nakedness since there was a guest. Farlan's face finally came into view, the light grey of his eyes glimmering in the sunlight, hair still flipping in all different directions. Isabel was curled into his ribs, one arm thrown above her head and draped over her face with the other looped around the top of his thigh. If had been anyone other than her, Levi might have thrown her out the window but his fiancé probably wouldn’t appreciate the murder of his sister.

“Hey there, pretty.” Farlan pulled him in for a deep kiss. He untangled his arms from the blankets and wrapped them around Farlan's neck. “You smell so good.”

“Oi, hush.” Levi breathed in the man's scent and pressed another kiss to the side of his neck. “Don’t scent me with her in the bed, it’s creepy.”

Farlan growled just a bit, very much a fake threat at Levi’s limitation. But it prompted his omega waves to respond. Levi was losing himself in Farlan’s lips but the moment was interrupted by a fearful whimper. Farlan dropped back into the pillows and tugged Levi with him.

Farlan resumed running his fingers through Levi's hair and gently patted Isabel on the head. It had always been the easiest way to get her to sleep when she had nightmares. Levi was surprised her nightmare-induced scent didn’t wake him up when she came into the room earlier. It must have been a milder one.

“How long has she been in here?”

“Um, shit. Maybe since four?” Farlan yawned. He had probably been up trying to calm her down. “But I knew she’d come here anyway, you know she hates her birthday.”

“Maybe she’ll like it a bit more after today.” Levi ran his own hand through the girl's hair.

“Mmm, I hope so.” Farlan chuckled lowly when Isabel stirred next to him.

Her alpha scent grew stronger as she woke. Isabel's eyes opened, rolled around for a minute, and finally focused on the two cuddling men above her. She gave a faked frown and sat up, stretching her arms above her head with a high-pitched yawn. Levi and Farlan smiled at her like two, new parents. For all intents and purposes, she was their daughter, aside from the fact that they were all only related through adoption. She was a younger alpha than Farlan, still learning, so impressionable like a child.

“Are you two gonna fuck first or can we go get waffles?” Her bluntness was a clear indication of Levi’s influence.

“I-Izzy!” Farlan gently kicked her until she slipped off the side of the mattress and landed on the carpet with a thud.

“Son of a bitch!”

“Oi! You watch your goddamn mouth you little shit,” He barked at her loudly but with a joking tone. Levi could see her feet still in the air. “We don’t use that fucking language in this house.”

“Fuck yo rules, bruh!” Isabel sat up and smiled over the edge of the bed before righting herself on her feet. “I’m just going to go shower. Birthday waffles, right?”

It was the one thing Izzy looked forward to, the three of them going to get waffles and then going to visit Kuchel. Farlan and Isabel were never given a reason to look forward to their birthdays until their first year with Levi and Kuchel, and it has quickly become a tradition. Greasy waffles and movies on the couch. Levi made sure it was one never to be broken, even after they’d moved a few hours away from their mother.

“Close the door on your way out.” Farlan winked at her and rolled until he was pressed over Levi through the blankets, caging in the smaller man. He let a large burst of dominance into the air, drowning Levi's senses with a monsoon of wintergreen.

“Jesus. At least wait until I’m actually gone.” Levi could hear the grimace on her face, but he couldn’t look away from Farlan’s lips.

The door slammed just in time for Farlan to sit up and eagerly pull the blankets from Levi's skin, exposing him to the cool air. Farlan’s scent was everywhere and he could feel himself slicking in response, omega waves aching to submit. The alpha growled above him with purpose this time, the noise promising that disobedience was not so easily forgotten. Farlan settled between his thighs and closed in on his lips once again. Breaths mixed together and Levi felt a warmth gather in his body, the contact of their skin, the tangle of their legs. Farlan leaned in closer, their lips only centimeters apart, and looked Levi in the eye.

_“Save me, Levi.” Farlan's eyes glazed over._

_“Help me, Levi.” Isabel was suddenly back in the doorway, eyes unfocused._

_“Levi!” They both screamed at the top of their lungs._

~~~~~~~~~~

Levi's eyes shot open and he sucked a breath into his chest, grimacing at the dampness of the sweat soaked sheets. Apart from the sound of his heaving breaths, the room around him was bare, empty, and quiet. His dense, sour scent clung in the air and it made his stomach turn a little.

“Levi?” A knock came at his door and a soft voice carried through the wood. That was Petra’s voice, not his mother’s. There was no way the omega couldn’t smell that ghastly scent through the door. He was always amazed that she came to help him when the scent was purposed to deter people.

“What?” His voice was still laced with sleep, but the gruffness pushed through anyway as he checked to make sure the blanket was pulled up enough to cover the majority of his body.

The handle clicked and he could hear the door creak as it slowly opened. He didn’t turn to face her, instead choosing to stare at the curtains across the room. A soft maple syrup smell cut through the bitterness as Petra pushed her own calming waves between them in an attempt help settle Levi.

“I just wanted to see if you were awake yet. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“No, you didn’t.” Levi breathed as calmly as he could even though his heart was still drumming in his chest.

“Kuchel asked me to come by. She isn’t feeling well this morning.” The smell of tea wafted into the room and Petra cleared her throat. “The traffic this morning is pretty bad. We need to go ahead and get ready to go.”

“Of course it is.” Levi eased himself up on one elbow and hissed when pain shot through his spine. He tried to suppress his waves, but it didn’t work. The pain made it too hard to focus on keeping it masked.

“Are you running a fever? You’re sweating.” She took a step forward, but Levi quickly raised a hand over his shoulder. “Levi, your scent is off. Let me help you.”

“No, just…just night terrors again. It’s fine.” Levi reached for his phone and noticed he’d slept through his mother calling, two alarms, and three messages from Petra. “Give me a minute, I’m not dressed.”

Petra stood in the doorway for a minute without responding. A small hint of discontent paired with the sweetness of the syrup. It hung between them, then dissipated. She sighed heavily, pushing her calming waves a bit harder.

“Okay, just don’t dally. Your tea will get cold.” She doesn’t completely close the door on the off chance he might need help.

Levi waited until her steps reached the kitchen to throw his blankets back and sit up. His breath hitched in his throat when the pain rolled under his skin again. No amount of time would prepare him for it and no amount of pain medication helped him anymore. He gritted his teeth together and slowly moved to the edge of the bed, breathing through every stretch of lightening-hot hurt in his spine. Levi regretted not putting his briefs on before going to bed last night, it was always more difficult to do in the morning.

Levi unlocked his phone and dialed his mother. He decided against the briefs and pulled a pair of black sweatpants from the suitcase perched next to his bed. The call rang once before it clicked in acceptance and he switched it to speaker.

“Good morning, darling.” There was a strain to her voice but still a smile behind it.

“Hey, ma. Sorry I missed your call earlier. I-I didn’t have a good night, so I was pretty out if it.” He bit back noises of pain and leaned as far forward as possible to loop his tingling legs into the fabric.

“Ahh, that’s okay. So, today is just your evaluation, right? And then you’re meeting with Historia at eleven?” Levi could tell she was trying to keep the conversation away from herself.

“Mom.” His tone was misleadingly light, one she'd only heard in the past year. “How bad is it today?”

He didn’t expect anything other than her regular lie, but he always hoped for a complaint of some kind that would give him ammunition to convince her to go to her doctor, but she always made the excuse that Levi saw more than enough doctors for her to be comfortable receiving more expected bad news.

“Levi, honey–”

“I know, mom. You’re fine and just tired?” A gasp rattled through his lungs when he pulled his sweatpants up to his thighs, but his mother ignored it. He tried to play it off with a joke. “If you don’t want to go to my appointments with me, all you have to do is say it. Avoiding me is such a rude way to go about it.”

“Oi, you shut the fuck up!” It caused them both to laugh, but Levi stopped short when Petra knocked at the door again.

“I’ll call you again after my meeting with Historia.” He heard Petra take a step back and pull the door closed even more. “I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, honey.” Levi laced his left arm through to brace of his forearm crutch. “Be careful. You’re precious cargo, you know.”

“You too, mom. Call me if I need to come over or if you feel worse. Promise?” She wouldn’t, but the reminder was important.

“Of course, honey. Now go kick that doctor’s ass like I would!” Kuchel giggled and Levi smiled at the phone.

“Will do, mom.” He hung up and took in a deep breath before painfully easing off the mattress, putting as much of his weight on the crutch as possible.

Levi's legs quivered in both weakness and pain. He braced his other hand against the bedside table to breathe through the initial shocks. He’d always considered himself to have a high pain threshold, but this was insane. No one should have to push through something like this. Levi tugged the sweatpants up over hips and situated himself before quickly pulling on an old t-shirt.

“You can come in now, Petra.” He looked over his shoulder and shot her a sideways smile. Petra took a step into the room, gave a small sniff to the air, and lowered the intensity of her scent when she noticed he’d calmed down.

“Okay, so, how do you feel about Dr. Dalton?” Petra took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“I don’t know. He was recommended by one of Historia's other clients and I know she vetted him before giving me his information, but...” Levi pulled the band from his hair, letting it puddle past his shoulders, and ran a brush through it. “Do you think we can stop by Jean’s before going to see Historia? I need to get my undercut redone.”

“Yea, we should have time. Those vitamins you’ve been taking really have helped. Your hair is finally growing again.” Petra stood up and made the bed while Levi pulled his hair into a ponytail. “You know, I’m sure he’s going to give you good news. I trust Historia's judgement.”

“Hers is fine. It his I’m not sure about.” Levi turned to face her, finding her not in scrubs but her regular clothes. “Olou not do laundry yesterday?”

“Huh? Oh!” She gave a hearty laugh. The mention of her beta partner turned her scent into a rich hazelnut. “No, no. He’s doing all of that today.”

“Damn. Spending one of your days off on me when he’s actually _home_? Careful, he might think you’re falling in love with me.” Levi braced against the crutch and eased himself towards the bathroom, trying to keep the pain from his voice as much as possible.

“Ahh, yes, because gay doesn’t leak from your pores.” Petra laughed when Levi hurt himself just to step backward from the bathroom to shoot a glare at her. “_What?!_ Honey, you snarl at any woman who gives you the smallest side-eye. And you stared at a few waiters when we went to eat last week.”

“Eat a dick. Honestly, I don't know w–” Levi pushed himself forward slightly too fast and slipped, falling forward against the sink.

Petra swore and rushed forward, finding Levi barely holding himself up around the rim of the counter and struggling to pull his legs back underneath him. The stretch made Levi's back lock up. The scars across his ribs pulling tight enough to hitch his breath even though landing against the porcelain hadn’t caused any damage. Petra looped her arms under his own and slowly helped to support his weight as she lowered him to the floor.

“Okay. Alright, stay still. Give yourself a second.” Petra soothed a hand over his shoulder. “Did you hit your head or anything? Your ribs?”

“No.” Levi sucked in ragged breaths between shocks of pain while his legs twitched. He pushed himself hard to control his waves because he knew how easily Petra got stressed by them.

“Okay, okay, good. You’re fine. Just breathe.” She couldn't do anything for him, trying to help him up would only make it worse.

Levi tripped more than he cared to admit. His numb legs and pain made walking difficult. He’d never really adjusted to having limited mobility. He’d never wanted to be a burden on anyone, much less his mother, and God forbid a stranger who was only forced to become his friend because of his inability to live on his own. Kuchel was sick, had been for years, and Levi had to beg her not to pack everything up and move five hours away to live with him. She couldn’t leave her friends or the home she’d lived in since before he was born. He didn’t want to become _that_ son. He couldn’t. He didn’t even want Petra here, but he was thankful anyway.

“I might actually stab this doctor if he turns you away.” Petra laughed lightly and rubbed Levi's arm, pushing a few calming waves forward.

“You and me both.” Levi gritted his teeth and breathed deeply before attempting to push himself up in his elbows. The pain has never gone away, not once. Rather, it had progressively gotten worse over the past year forcing Levi to learn how to breathe through it.

“Easy now.” Petra got up and stood ready to support under his arms as he struggled to pull himself back up right.

“Petra, really I’m fine. I didn’t hit anything.” He wanted to push her away, but it was too painful trying to get his legs underneath him alone.

“Shut up and let me help you, goblin.” Petra held out her arm for Levi to use as he rolled up onto his knees and used his crutch to pull himself up. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want me to, but let me have a look, yeah?”

Levi bristled at her question and a growl rumbled lowly in his throat. She eyed him but directed his hands to the edge of the sink, bending him forward just slightly.

“I’m sorry.” Petra's whisper was a warning. This was Levi's least favorite part, she knew that. She didn’t expect him to acknowledge her apology.

Petra crouched down to be level with his hip and settled her fingers on the hem of his shirt, giving him one last second to prepare himself. Levi gripped the edge of the counter hard enough to squeak the surface. She pushed Levi's shirt up and exposed the wound that stretched long the lowest portion of his spine. It was swollen, red, upset and unchanged from continuous infection.

“Okay, you’re fine.” She put the gauze back quickly and let his shirt fall back down. “I hope he can get this under control.”

“I’m just tired of smelling it.”

“I know.” Petra stood up and made sure he was okay otherwise. She collected all of his medication bottles while he took a moment to brush his teeth.

The drive to the appointment was easy, having just missed the rush of the morning commuters. Levi missed driving. He’d always hated riding in cars before, finding motorcycles much more comfortable, but now it was his only option. At least Petra was an easy-going driver; his back thanked her for that.

“Good morning. Name?” The front desk woman gives them a bright smile.

“Ackerman. Levi.”

“Ahh, gotcha. Okay. Hello, Mr. Ackerman.” The woman clicked a few buttons before calling over her radio. “Teylor, Mr. Ackerman is here. Okay, sir, if you’ll just head to that blue door on the side, a nurse is going to go ahead and take you back.”

An eccentric woman opened the door. She led them down a short hall into a private room set up to take vitals chatting the entire way. Why was she so bubbly so early in the morning?

“If you’ll just take a seat, Mr. Ackerman. Now, Dr. Dalton had some of your records faxed over from your last clinic. That being said, due to your circumstances, your level of injury, and everything that went down with your previous physician, he wants me to get our own personal history from you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” Levi wiped his hands on his pants, already feeling a sweat gathering on them. This meant he had to go over details and answer specific questions hadn’t had to in a while.

“Hey, do you want me to sit in the lobby?” It seems Levi’s scent-blocking body spray wasn’t as effective as promised.

“No. You’re fine, Petra. You’ve literally helped me bathe. Can it really get more intimate that that?” He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “Go ahead.”

“If any of the questions make you uncomfortable, just let me know.” The nurse gave him a softer smile than before. Could she smell it too? “Alright, can you verify your birthday and age?”

“December twenty-fifth. I’m twenty-four.”

“Great, thank you. And I have down that you’re an omega, which I trust is still correct, naturally. Can you tell me when your last heat was?”

“Uh, shit.” He had to think for a moment. All of his days really started to run together. “November, I believe. For, like, five days.”

The woman paused her typing and looked at him with a confused face. “You weren’t on heat-blocking shots? With those types of injuries?”

“I was taking regular suppressants, but they took me off of them because of the antibiotics. But with everything that was going on, they let a lot of things slip through the cracks.”

“Have you taken anything since then? Any prescribed medication?”

“Oh, yes. I have those.” Petra pulled the bag from her purse. There were a lot of bottles between his pain, depression, infection, and sleep issues.

“Okay, great. I’ll get those logged here in a few minutes. Got that. The doctor will go over any kind of complications as a result of that. Okay.” The way she hummed to herself was actually slightly calming. It made him feel like his circumstances weren’t really that far out there. “Okay, did anyone join you for that heat?”

“No.” Levi answered with a low voice.

Here they were, the most hated questions. Levi clenched his fists in his lap but relaxed just a bit when Petra put a reassuring hand on his knee. She had only been his aid for seven months, so she hadn’t been present for the first round of questioning and he hoped she didn’t have any of her own after. He just didn’t have the strength or the patience.

“Okay, and were you on a regular suppressant before your accident?”

“Yes, just scent ones, but I don’t remember which one though.”

“That’s fine. But regular heats? Any complications there?”

“Yes and nope, none.” Those had been perfect. They were always perfect. Everything was perfect compared to this.

“Good, great. Any pregnancies?”

He trained his eyes to a small blemish on the wall behind the nurse when his leg started an anxiety-fueled bouncing. He saw Petra’s hair move in the corner of his eye.

“Yes.” His voice lowered entirely without his permission. The nurse nodded, clicked a button, and gave him a second before asking the next question.

“Any pups?” His leg bounced a bit faster, making a sliding noise on the seat.

“No.” Petra's mouth opened but snapped back shut.

“I’m sorry, but I–” Levi interrupted her with a quick nod. “Was that as a result of an elective procedure?”

That was, easily, the gentlest way Levi had ever heard to ask someone if they’d had an abortion.

“No.”

His façade was breaking as he felt his bottom lip quiver slightly, but he snagged it between his teeth. He was not going to break down in a doctor’s office, especially not in front of a stranger. Petra's hand landed heavily on his leg and tried to coax it to stop shaking while the nurse filled out a few more boxes.

“Can you tell me what date the pregnancy ended?” This question was asked with a hint of resistance and the nurse didn’t take her eyes off the screen of her computer.

“February eighth of last year.” The day everything was taken away from him.

The nurse blinked quickly and flipped through the paperwork in front of her. The realization sparked across her face momentarily and was gone just as fast.

They all sat in silence for a moment, long enough for Levi's leg to calm down. The nurse took this moment to enter his medication into the computer and Levi used it to breathe. She got his vitals next, what little family history he knew, and a few more random pieces of his personal information. Petra, through the mix of all of this, grasped his hand and he didn’t shake her off.

“Okay, now. Dr. Dalton has requested that I go ahead and get some blood work from you. Then we are going to take a brand-new x-ray and an MRI scan.”

It was surprising to be undergoing so many tests right off the bat. He’d mainly been expecting a meeting with the doctor, a thirty minute “I can offer these useless procedures” kind of speech, not a serious visit. It was a lot, especially considering how terrible he’d slept and the soreness that had settled into his skin from his fall that morning. By the time they got into the exam room to wait for the doctor, he was exhausted, in pain, dizzy from the blood draw, and more than a bit irritated.

Petra helped him up onto the exam table before she slowly paced the room. The room quickly filled with a blanket of anxious Omega waves as she pulled her fingers into her mouth to bite at her nails. He knew what she wanted to ask. She knew she shouldn’t.

“I’m sorry. I have to.” Petra suddenly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his gently but heavily.

He tensed under her hold but wrapped his arms around her anyway. He wouldn’t openly admit it, but they’d become what he would consider friends. She put up with him, stood up to him, comforted him, all in time when she both was and wasn’t being paid to do so. She’d been the first aid to not run away screaming when he threw something at her, when he growled and lashed out, tried to hurt himself. She’d been there through it all and that made her worthy of his friendship.

“I’m here for you. If you ever need to talk. You know that, okay?”

“Thank you.”

A knock came at the door, shaking them from the embrace and prompting Petra to take the seat in the corner of the room. The white coat, mid-forties appearance, and slight salt-and-pepper tint in his black hair told Levi this was definitely his doctor.

“Mr. Ackerman, good morning. I’m Dr. Julian Dalton. How are you today?” He extended his hand to the two of them and gave Petra a smile.

“Uh, in severe pain and relatively uneasy, so, pretty normal I’d say.”

“Well, let’s see what we can do about that.” Levi gave a reserved hum. “First, I’d like to do a quick exam and go from there. Would that be okay?”

“You’re the doctor so...” The man chuckled and motioned Levi to remove his shirt while he dawned a pair of gloves.

“Okay, yea, you do have a pretty bad infection. Now, that’s not news to either of us, but luckily, it’s not as bad as I expected it to be.” He moved on to take a look at the rest of Levi's scares, tested his reflexes, and listened to his breathing. “Okay, now, I’ll just go ahead and jump into this. I took a look at your scans and bloodwork and there a few things we need to discuss.

“First thing is getting that infection under control. Like I said, at first glance and with your bloodwork levels, it could be much worse, so I don’t expect it to be too difficult of a procedure. It will require a surgery though. There is a chance that the circumstances will change once I get in there, but that is a little low on my radar at the moment. You’ve been on antibiotics for a while, though haven’t you?”

“Yeah, for like, two months and it just seems to get worse. The smell keeps me constantly nauseous.” Petra helped Levi slip his shirt back on.

“I definitely imagine that it has. You shouldn’t have been on them for this long, especially if they didn’t work. With that said, I want you to stop taking them immediately. I went ahead and looked at my schedule and I want to get your clean-up surgery set up for Monday. Does that sound like something you can do?” The doctor wiggled the computer mouse and clicked around as he spoke.

“It’s a date.” It was sooner than he’d expected. Maybe this doctor wasn’t as much of a quack.

“Great. Let me just put that on my schedule. They’ll give you the procedure notes when you check out. Now, the next thing. Let me just go over your situation with you to make sure that I have everything correct. Just to make sure I understand.” Levi nodded and the doctor smile. “Okay, so you’ve had four surgeries total. The first was to relieve and repair the crushed spine but resulted in pinched nerves and uneven vertebrae. Is that correct?”

Levi nodded.

“The second surgery resulted in the accident severing of some nerves, which prompted the third surgery with the cadaver nerves?”

Levi almost nodded through it before he realized the information was incorrect. “No. What an incompetent fuck. No. One of my past foster siblings donated theirs. Thank God he didn’t do their surgery also.”

“Okay.” The doctor took the information and updated Levi's records. “But that surgery didn’t go well either.”

“No. I coded twice, and nearly bled to death because he nicked an artery, but at least the nerve took. I was in a coma for almost a week and developed an infection. My mom and I were unaware of the fact that the complications were a result of negligence, so she gave the okay for him to open my back up and clear the infection.” Levi wanted to throw something at the wall, but he didn’t really have anything close enough.

“The surgery notes said your heart rate fluctuated severely and your BP dropped too low, so they stopped the surgery early. But there’s nothing to lead me to believe they did anything to counteract those symptoms in an attempt to continue.” He read through a few more things, made a few notes of his own, and asked to examine Levi's back again. “There are way too many inconsistencies in these surgical notes. I’m just a bit taken aback. I’m sorry that you’re here. Most of this looks like it could have been avoided.”

“And I’m probably stuck like this for the rest of my life.” Anger bubbled in his blood.

“I didn’t say that at all. I won’t lie, this won’t be an easy process. Just as a first thought, I think a spinal fusion is going to be our best option, but I’ll have a better idea once we get in there and get it all cleaned up. Now, since you walked in here, it’s pretty obvious the nerve is intact, but I want you to be prepared.” The doctor rolled the chair directly in front of Levi and made deliberate eye contact with him. “If the nerve is infected and a hindrance to your recovery, I may need to remove it. I hope I don’t have to, but I will if it means getting you better. It can always be replaced, but your life is more important than your ability to walk.”

That was not what he wanted to hear. It would have been easier if he’d just died. He wouldn’t be here, in pain, and thinking about kicking a doctor in the face. He wouldn’t be a burden on Petra or his mother. He wouldn’t be alone.

“I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear, but like I said, it’s just a warning.” He wheeled back to the computer. “So, after your surgery on Monday, I’m going to issue a different antibiotic. That, as you know, makes prescribing suppressants a bit unnecessary since they won’t be worth anything. I do, heavily, suggest heat shots until we have you back where you need to be, though.”

“That would be great. I think my last heat was more painful than the back-to-back surgeries.”

“Levi, if I may.” Dr. Dalton rolled back for eye contact. “I am sorry for everything that you have experienced. It is a poor representation of the medical community. I promise you that I will do anything and everything that I can to help you as much as possible. We will exhaust all measures to get you as close to functional as we can. You’ll never be 100% again, but I will get you as far as I can.”

Levi didn’t let himself get excited. Every doctor was confident in the beginning. He’d seen three others since the beginning of the year, and he hadn’t liked any of them. They were either over-confident or didn’t want to touch Levi’s case. This guy, though, he seemed to settle in a middle ground that made some semblance of recovery look possible.

“Good luck.” Levi held out his hand for a shake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A breezy morning in February was just what Mike needed, perfect running weather. An hour-long trail, a cup of coffee, breakfast with his husband, then a day of cuddling and being lazy. It was easily the best way to spend a Friday before repeating the process for the whole weekend. If anyone called, he might actually rip their head off because he wanted to spend it with his favorite person. Crime can take a break.

He rounded the corner into their cul-de-sac of large, duplex houses and immediately noticed a very small moving truck parked in the driveway of the house directly connected to theirs. He closed in on the home but stopped just shy of the steps when something distracted him and pulled his attention to the truck. He saw a small, dainty-looking woman struggling to hold the sides of a box. She only made it a few steps before it slipped from her fingers, dropped go the ground, and she toppled over it with a loud yelp. He cursed under his breath and trotted over with a quickness. The interesting smell got stronger the closer he got, causing a stir under his skin.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” She was short and the box was nearly big enough to keep her from getting her feet underneath her unless she rolled into the grass.

Mike gripped one of her arms and gently helped her to stand once again. Her long, black hair had frizzed in the struggle and a bruise was already forming on the upper part of her arm where she'd hit the box. He could tell from her scent that she was an omega, an older one, but different than the magnetic smell that lured him over.

“Yes! Yeah. Oh thank you. Fuck, that one was heavier than I was ready for.” She put her hands on her hips and blew the hair from her face. She huffed out a heavy breath and give a few short bursts of lemon-scented waves of appreciation.

“Chel, you okay?” A familiar face came from the front door. “Oh! Mike, hello! This is the boy I told you about that helped save my cat last year!”

“Mrs. Riley, good morning. I was just coming in from a jog and saw your friend here plant face-first into a box.” They all laughed together, and the short woman smiled widely. “And he hasn’t gone back in the tree yet.”

“I did, he’s not lying for a second.” She rubbed at the spot on her arm. “Got me pretty good, too.”

“Are you okay? I told you we should have hired someone.” Mrs. Riley came to stand by her.

A smell settled against Mike's skin and warmed his body, but it confused him. Not only could he not tell who it was coming from, but it was a scent that was muddled with different tones – sleepiness, pain, anger, and a little bit of happiness that had long since gone stale. But more than anything, it had an omega undertone. Both he and his husband were alphas, had fallen in love with each other’s scents and had never looked back. Neither of them ever finding omega scents even remotely pleasing.

This smell, though sad, was beautiful.

“Do you guys need a hand?” The question was asked before he really had a second to register what he was even offering.

“Oh, no, honey. Really, it’s okay.” The woman blushed deeply and skirted her grey eyes down to look at the grass.

“Hey, it’s what neighbors are for, right? My husband and I live right above you actually. I promise we will make the perfect neighbors for you and your family.” They were quiet, inviting, and helpful. What else could you ask for?

“Oh, well it’s actually just my son. I’ll be here every once in a while, to visit. But I’m sure he’ll enjoy having nice neighbors. Maybe you guys can get him to come out of his shell a little bit.” She bent down to pick up the box, but her effort was futile.

“Kuchel, stop. I’m calling someone. Mike, I know you’ve worked all week. Go home and rest.”

“No. Now, seriously.” Mike waved both women away from the box. “Give me five minutes to get changed and we’ll be right down. Take a breather.”

Both women reluctantly agreed. Mike turned on his feet and walked across the lawn. Each step that he took away from that smell made a resistance twist his veins. He didn’t want to leave. His confusion only continued to rise as he trekked up the stairs and let himself into their place.

The house continued to smell strongly of coffee. Right behind that was the heavy mahogany scent of his husband but it only briefly registered before it fluttered. Erwin noticed his alpha’s presence and came from the kitchen with a confused look on his face and two cups of coffee. Erwin’s brows furrowed when he noticed that Mike's pine scent was slightly tainted with something unusual for the man.

“Hey. Is everything okay?” Erwin gave him a kiss on the cheek and handed over a mug.

“We, uh, we have a new neighbor, below us I mean.” Mike took a sip from his cup and let the warmth soothe his body as he made his way into the bedroom.

Mike immediately pulled his running sweatshirt over his head and replaced it with a t-shirt. Erwin silently stood in the doorway, watching him change, letting his confusion seep into his scent. They were so influenced by one another’s changes after being married for so long, so this didn’t go unnoticed in the slightest by the other alpha. There were only so many things that could make his husband act weird, and they weren’t good things.

“That didn't answer my question. Did they give you a weird vibe or something?” Erwin sniffed the air and it was clear that he wasn't getting any better details from the air. “Your scent is really weird, baby. What happened?”

“Mrs. Riley is helping a woman move her son's stuff in downstairs. I didn’t get a questionable vibe, but there’s something. I just don’t really know how to explain it.” Mike ducked into the bathroom to wash his face.

“Okay. Was Mrs. Riley just being nice or did they seem to be friends?” Erwin moved to the edge of the bed.

Mike fiddled around with the washcloth and ran a comb through his hair. He was pointedly avoiding eye contact with Erwin since he stepped in the door and he knew it made him look guilty.

“Friends, I think. The woman looked fairly sick. And…” Mike plopped down on the mattress next to him with his head tilted down. His sweet alpha was going to be angry. “I’m sorry but I told them we would help then move their stuff in. I know it was supposed to be our weekend together, but there are two fragile-looking women who need help.”

“Mike, you are too nice for your own good. You know that right?” Erwin bumped against him and shifted for their thighs to press together.

“Sorry.” Mike was still emanating guilt while preparing for Erwin’s waves of upset. He was going to break.

Erwin stretched to put his cup on the bedside table before standing up. Mike bristled for the first yell and his head dipped even lower. He had a habit of ruining plans.

“I’ll tell you what.” Erwin's voice dropped low and vibrated through Mike’s ears. In a hurried movement, he was shoved to lay back on the mattress as Erwin climbed on top of him. “I’ll help you, but for a price.”

“A price?” The weight of Erwin's body against his was a blessing; he felt a spark ignite in his stomach when he was straddled with his hands pinned above his head. Erwin nosed his head sideways roughly and licked across his scent gland.

“I’ll help them move in, but tonight,” Erwin nipped at the mark nestled behind Mike’s ear. “Tonight, I want to cook dinner and then I want you to make me forget what my name.”

The arousal came through their bond thick, merciless. Their lips met, teeth clicking together as Erwin nibbled on Mike’s lower lip. Tongues swept together and they started a gentle rutting against each other. Small breaths and growls filled the air between kisses. Mike was putty in his hands.

“Erwin, we – fuck – have to go.”

“You going to give me what I asked for?” Erwin kissed him again and tangled their fingers together.

“Yes. God, yes.” Mike was so easy.

“Alright, then.”

Mike did his best to breathe through his arousal while Erwin pushed himself off the bed. His husband chuckled and Mike took the offered hand. Upon standing, Mike blinked as Erwin’s hand swept the shaggy hair out of his face.

“I love you, you know that, right?” Erwin cupped Mike's face gently and rubbed their noses together.

“Even when I fuck up our plans?” They both knew how anxious Mike could get when it came to the demands of his job. He was worried that, one day, Erwin would get tired of him and leave.

“Mike, you offered to help someone. You expect me to get mad at you for that?” Erwin’s eyes were searching his own and Mike nodded. “Such a gracious, selfless man. My sweet alpha.”

Erwin wrapped his arms around Mike’s shoulders while his beard tickled against the tender skin of Erwin's neck. The arousal in the air faded.

“Alright, come on, you. Let’s go.” Mike received one last peck on the cheek.

They held hands and skipped down the stairs. Mike could tell the moment Erwin picked up on the smell. His waves faltered, jumping between happy, cautious, and confused. It was clear his husband was having a similar reaction.

“What is – is that–” Erwin hissed under his breath.

“I have no idea.” Mike flashed a smile and waved with his free hand as the women came into view.

“Ah, there’s my other favorite blonde.” Mrs. Riley met them at the bottom of the stairs and gave Erwin a hug.

“Good morning, Nadine. Luis gone already this morning? I’m surprised he’s not here helping.” Erwin put on a good face, but Mike could tell he was still reeling from the unfamiliar omega scent.

“He and the boys went finishing this morning. Though I’m told them I needed their help.”

“Men are the worst.” Erwin smiled when the small woman howled with laughter.

“Only most of them. Come, come.” She tugged Erwin by the arm. “This is my friend Kuchel. Kuchel this is Erwin and, of course, Mike.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” She gave them both a large, warm smile. “I really do appreciate the help. Levi really doesn’t have much stuff but I’m just a weakling.”

“It’s really no trouble. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything. And I mean that.” Erwin put his hand on Kuchel’s shoulder, his smile only growing tighter when he realized the scent wasn’t coming from her.

“Let them help, Kuchel.”

Just as Kuchel said, there wasn’t a lot inside of the truck. Twenty boxes at most and a few small pieces of furniture. But it wasn’t the number of boxes that troubled the two alphas, it was the smell of the boxes themselves. Different items, though, had different tones and levels. But having the sources of black tea and honey sources so close to their faces perpetuated the feelings of turmoil.

The boxes of clothes were the freshest, most personal smells. The clothes were clean, that was obvious by the overpowering smell of detergent, but even that stood no chance against the smokiness of pain and irritation. The sour notes made their hair stand on end and growls threatened to break through his throat. It reminded Mike of danger, telling him to flee. Those were the hardest. Mike looked over at Erwin, his firefighter husband and all to accustomed to the warning, showed far less trouble on his face while moving the boxes.

Erwin stacked all three boxes into the largest bedroom and lingered in the room for a moment. Compared to the standard, the bed was a notably lower to the ground with a particularly thick, plush mattress. None of the pieces of furniture smelled the same as the clothes so Mike surmised that they were new.

Mike took care of the four boxes of books because Erwin actually snarled when he came too close to them and even refused to help Mike slide them out of the truck. The alpha was completely put off by the sheer staleness of the smell that leaked through the cardboard. The books had been packed up for longer than any other items. A strange, very faint hint of mint and apples were certainly worrisome. These all went into the second bedroom, which was already housing a few suitcases in it exuding Kuchel’s warm smell. The smaller room had a bed, nightstand, and a small table, but nothing suggesting a permanent resident.

The rest of the boxes went into the kitchen, living room, and one into each of the private bathrooms. Most of them smelled like Kuchel or some kind of maple syrup. Finally, a calming tone in the swirl of unrest. It made both men curious as to why there was one smell so drastically different, such a dark contrast to its counterparts, but it seemed impolite to ask. Even still, their muscles itched, almost twitching under their skin with the desire to know the cause for such unrest in the omega smell because underneath it all, even through the stench of pain, was the alluring aroma of the omega himself. It sunk deep into their bones and held them steadfast in the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Between conversation, box placement, and some furniture rearrangement, it took a few hours to get everything where it needed to be. Out of habit, Erwin and his husband made a second pass through the house to be sure everything was functional, both of them routinely helping with maintenance around the complex.

“I appreciate you guys so much, really. There's no way I could have been done in time on my own.” Kuchel made a pitcher of lemonade and poured them both a glass. “This is a bit of a surprise for my son. I was worried it would be ruined, but you saved the day!”

“We’re always happy to help, really. This is a help-your-neighbors kind of community. So, please feel free ask if you need us. Erwin's typically home more often than I am but we are just a door away if you guys ever need any help.” Mike took a long swig of the drink and hummed.

“I’ll make sure–” Kuchel was interrupted by an incoming call that she rushed to answer. “Hello? Levi What? No, no, no. She will not turn the car around. Why? Levi, I’m _at_ your home now. Stop pestering her before she abandons you on the side of the road in a box and you get abducted by someone. Excuse me?”

Kuchel turned away and took a harsh, hushed tone. “We can talk about that when you get here, but until then how about you cool your fucking jets and stop being an ass. I’ll see you in a couple of minutes.”

“I told you he wouldn’t like that you did this.” Mrs. Riley came from the laundry room and poured her own glass, giving a cautious smirk.

Erwin and Mike stood close to one another and watched the women converse. There was a clear anxiousness of possibly meeting the source of the tumultuous scent between the two alphas.

“So, Levi and Petra are about to arrive. Heads up, he isn’t feeling too good so, please, look over the attitude.” There was a pleading look in Kuchel’s eyes.

Kuchel waved when a dark sedan pulled into the driveway beside the moving truck. A short, strawberry-blonde woman got out and rounded the front to grab the passenger door. As soon as it opened, Erwin was hit with the scent of the distressed omega. Mike’s shoulders visibly fell from the shock of it. An urge to help him and tend to this man’s every need nearly overwhelmed Erwin. But before any embarrassing choices were made, Petra stepped forward and extended her arm to assist him, but the man only let out a growl.

“Levi? Are you okay, honey?”

“I’m fine, mom.” The voice was groggy, low, strained, but absolutely beautiful. A pale, black haired man gently stood from the car and wobbled up the driveway and something in Erwin’s heart broke. “Who are the giants? Did you wrangle two strangers into your scheme? I’m really not in the mood for guests, mom.”

“They’re the couple who lives above you. They were kind enough to help when they saw me struggling.”

“Thank you for not letting my mother kill herself.” Erwin could barely hear the omega, Levi, mutter as he pushed past everyone without bothering a proper greeting.

“He got the shot this morning, but by the time we got to Historia, he was sick.” The young woman stopped to fill Kuchel in before following Levi.

Mike and Erwin both turned to eye the man as he disappeared into the house. The tea scent the floated over his trail wasn’t as sad or upset as the items in the house, but it still had those the slight sickly, smoky undertones. Erwin still had so many questions.

“I’m sorry, boys. I expected him to be a bit more willing to say hello.” Kuchel frowned and scratched the back of her neck.

“Don't worry about it. It happens.” Erwin waved her off with a smile. “Why don’t we leave you to it then. Let you get settled.”

“Just knock on our door if you need anything. Mrs. Riley also has our numbers if you want those.” Mike took Erwin's hand.

One last round of departing wishes and the two men ascended the stairs. The smell of their own home welcomed them and they both took a few deep breaths. They eyed each other, still trying to process everything, only made more difficult by the smells that still stuck to them. But as they climbed the stairs, Erwin could tell Mike was agitated.

“Truth time?” Erwin and Mike spoke in unison and then chuckled.

They plopped down on to the couch, thighs almost touching. Erwin pulled Mike's hands into his own.

“Okay, so, I really don’t know what all that was about but…” Mike's eyes danced between Erwin's face and their hands. Mike was nervous even though he was pretty sure he didn’t need to be.

“You smelled him before you came upstairs and that’s why you were a little off, right?” Erwin smiled softly.

“Yeah. Erwin I’ve never – omegas don’t attract me. You know that, right? I promise this has never happened before.”

Despite exuding a quite protectiveness only enhanced by his size, Mike was prone to panicking. It always saddened Erwin to see Mike being held back in such a way. Even after eight years, five being married, he was always so worried Erwin would leave. Erwin’s loud, outgoing, and welcoming personality was an astounding contrast to his husband. But the differences only made their relationship stronger. He was the one that asked for the first date and the one to pop the question.

“Mike. Baby, I know.” Erwin gripped the man's hands tighter. “It’s okay. They’ve never done anything for me either, love.”

Mike stopped for a moment and his eyes roamed over where their linked fingers which kept Mike from fidgeting. Erwin waited while Mike worked hard to process the situation.

“He smelled really good though, didn’t he?” Erwin prodded when Mike finally met his gaze.

“He really did. Like it was off, but the core was…”

“Intoxicating? I felt something similar when I first met you.”

It had been more than just a scent then too. When Erwin stood in Mike’s company for the first time, there was calmness that took over telling him everything would be okay, a permission to just let go. It was just as jarring to experience it all for a second time it seemed.

“Yeah. But maybe, invigorating?” Mike’s eyebrows drew together, clearly still not happy with the proposed verbiage.

Erwin nodded and Mike smiled as his thumbs ran over Erwin's knuckles. Mike’s scent was finally settling and buzzing once again with confidence. He always did worry way too much for his own good.

“So, like, what does this mean exactly? I’ve never been that effected by another person's smell before. That’s not supposed to happen after bonding.” Mike thumbed over Erwin's knuckles.

“I don’t know, but we can figure it out together. Maybe we're just out of balance or something. We have been working pretty hard lately. Perhaps we should to go to the doctor.” It was a rational possibility, but Erwin still wasn’t convinced of his own reasoning. “But at the same time, he looked pretty sickly and his waves could be out of wack and on overload. That kind of imbalance could affect anyone.”

“Yeah, maybe. I can make the appointments on Monday, provided nothing crazy happens.”

“My sweet alpha. Always taking care of me.” Erwin pulled Mike into a kiss and Mike responded with his warm, soft lips. “Everything okay now?”

“Mmm. It’s perfect.” Mike has a low simmer of happiness in his blood, as did Erwin.

The rest of the afternoon trickled by slowly. They took a wonderful, much needed shower together that left them finally smelling like home again. Lunch happened in the living room with the newest episodes of House Hunters in the background. Mike fell asleep by the end of the fourth episode. While his husband slept, Erwin visited the grocery store to prepare Mike’s favorite dish.

When Erwin got home, he unloaded all of the ingredients and got to work. As soon as the chicken was in the oven, he silently made his way into the bedroom to change into nothing but a pair of loose short shorts which gave easy viewing and access to his ass cheeks and to insert his favorite gaudy butt plug. Without help, it took a bit – and a lot of lube – for the plug to get fully situated. After he washed his hands, Erwin continued with the rest of the dinner preparations.

By the time Mike woke up, the house smelled like roasted garlic and rosemary. Erwin watched as Mike stretched out across cushions of the couch before rolling to his feet. Playing it cool, he went back to attending to the risotto and corn cobs on the stove.

“Mmm, now what do we have here?” Mike stepped in close, gluing himself to Erwin's back and traced his fingers along the hem of the shorts.

“Made your favorites, baby.” Erwin gave him his innocent voice. Pine and mahogany started mixing in the room, overtaking the scent of food and summoning low growls from each man’s throat. “Even got dessert ready for you, too.”

Erwin arched slightly and pressed his ass into Mike's crotch with a light hum. Mike groaned as he slipped his hands under the fabric and wrapped them around the inside of those glorious thighs.

“Did you now?” He nipped at the back of Erwin's neck and squeezed the skin between his fingers.

“Mmhm.” Erwin gasped when Mike rutted against him. Playing innocent a little bit longer, he traded out the grill tongs for a spoon to stir the sauce for the chicken. “That’s your favorite too.”

Erwin shifted his weight and spread his stance right as Mike dropped to his knees. His husband was so easy to predict, to please, and he loved every bit of it. He shivered when scruff brushed against his upper thighs. Mike inhaled deeply through his nose when the timer went off on the stove.

“Oops, excuse me.” Erwin took a small step back, forcing Mike to let go in order.to keep from falling the floor.

Erwin opened the oven and bent over to pull out the chicken, fully aware of everything being presented. His husband almost choked when Erwin's cock poked though the bottom of the shorts. He swooped in quickly and lapped at the crown, groaning at the salty taste. Erwin nearly whined.

“Mike…”

“Now, now. Be a good alpha and don’t burn my food.” Mike’s hands grasped Erwin's hips while Erwin took his sweet time closing the oven door.

Mike moaned again as he settled himself under Erwin and moaned again when the already weeping crown came into view again. Strong, needy, waves were quickly filling the room. Mike slipped his hands back under the useless fabric and palmed Erwin's cheeks, nuzzling into the space when he pulled them apart.

“My alpha smells so good.” Mike breathed deeply and thumbed across the junction of Erwin's thighs and ass. When he lapped at the part of the shorts that covered his sack, Erwin nearly lost his footing. “Fuck, Win. I love these shorts.”

“I know you do.” Erwin voice was all air. He was such a slut for having his ass played with..

Mike pushed the shorts to the side and found the green jewel settled perfectly between Erwin’s cheeks. Erwin smiled at his husband’s unchecked awe. Erwin’s practice with their biggest plug had paid off.

“My god…”

When Mike licked directly between his cheeks and over the plug, Erwin let out a shameless moan and doubled over, nearly dropping the spoon as the plug shifted deliciously inside him. Mike growled and licked again, eliciting the same response.

“How did you even get this in, baby?” Mike moved closer, spreading his legs enough to be directly between Erwin’s feet.

“W-we need more lube.” Erwin was already so hard that he thought he might just cum this early on in the night.

“Fuck, Erwin.”

“You were dead to the world and I had to get it in by myself. I don’t know how you slept through it, babe. I know I was loud.” He pushed back into Mike's face and dropped the utensil to grab at the counter.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Mike pulled more of the fabric sideways to release Erwin's balls. “I’m so sorry.”

Erwin groaned as the apology was breathed against his skin. Mike lapped up his balls with thick, wet swipes and light nips. When Mike started to suck, pulling each one into his mouth before going to the other, Erwin’s eyes rolled back into his head. The wet heat of that mouth was hypnotic, each drag of the tongue around the base of his cock driving him closer and closer to the edge.

“M-Mike…sto-stop.”

The taller alpha growled under him. Mike sat back, on his heels, gripped Erwin’s shorts, and pulled. Erwin choked on a moan as his cock was set free. The shorts got caught on his knees because of his wide stance, so Mike stood then pulled Erwin's hips, bending him at the waist.

“My, my. You don’t look like you want me to stop, Erwin.”

Erwin’s cock hung heavy between his thighs, the tip full, red, and angry. Mike groaned before leaning in to lick his husband from tip to hole.

“Fuck! Mike…please…” Legs shook, knees almost buckling from the overwhelming sensations. “The f-food is – ahh!”

Erwin moaned loudly when the wet heat of Mike's mouth surrounded him. Arms wrapped around his hips and hugged his thighs. Erwin leaned forward and felt the tiles of the counter on his face. His moans were louder with each suck. He was so close. Mike's mouth was perfect.

“Mike…baby…” Erwin panted into the counter. “Close.”

“Turn the stove off.” Mike released his cock with a pop and licked back up to Erwin's hole.

“I’ll – fuck – have had to make this risotto twice. It’ll get–”

Mike growled loudly, stood back up on his feet, and pressed Erwin into the counter. A deep rumbling came from his chest as he made quick work of his pants and pushed them down just enough to free himself. He rutted forward and pressed his entire length between Erwin's cheeks. Mike enveloped his husband from behind and reached around to stroke him.

“Mike! Baby!” The counter squeaked under Erwin's hold, which grew tighter with each glorious stroke.

“Please. I don’t care about the food. Please…please.” “I need you so bad. Please, baby? Please, Erwin. Alpha, please.”

Erwin felt lips nibbling on the back of his neck. He was strung tight. Every muscle shook. Each breath left him lightheaded and so easily swayed. Each press of Mike’s body against his sparked electricity through his nerves. Rut after rut of the large cock pressed the plug into his body and left him gasping. With shaky hands, he reached up and turned the burners off.

“Oh thank god.” Mike spun Erwin around to face him and pressed their mouths together in a hungry kiss, all the while grinding their cocks together until only breathy moans filled the kitchen.

Mike forced Erwin's legs together just long enough to push the shorts off with his foot. Their growls and moans mixed together as they sloppy kisses filled the rest as the space between them. Erwin was pulled from the ground with a snarl. Erwin wrapped his arms around Mike’s neck as he kissed him deeper.

As soon as they made it to the bedroom, Erwin was tossed onto the mattress, and he watched Mike strip.

“Hurry, Mike. Fuck. Please.” Erwin arched and spread his thighs, palming his cock in impatience. He was so hard, leaking, and already had the start of a knot around the base.

A blush was spread across Mike's entire body. His abs rippled and the muscles of his arms flexed beautifully as his shirt came off. Erwin moaned as he eyed the cock that twitched against Mike's thigh. It smelled of a large forest, surrounded by fantastically enormous trees. Both of their scents came unfiltered, unrestrained.

“Look at you.” Mike crawled across the mattress and pressed Erwin thighs back against his chest, swallowed his cock, and continued driving Erwin insane.

Erwin threw his head back and moaned loudly as he buried his hands in Mike’s hair. Mike bobbed over every inch, swallowing until he gagged, then nosed into the soft blonde hair around Erwin's knot. He moved one hand down, traced along the shivering muscles of Erwin's thighs until he reached the gem. He ghosted across the stretched entrance.

“M-Mi…fuck, Mike!” Erwin wasn’t sure how long he could hold off. The heat pooled deep in his body and he ached so much in Mike's mouth. “S-stop. I’ll cum.”

Mike moaned weakly, hallowed his cheeks, swallowed deeply. Erwin arched and thrusted as much as he could with what little control he had. Mike gripped around the base of the plug and pressed and dragged gently over Erwin's prostate. It was all he could take. Erwin moaned loudly, arching high enough for his back to pop, and spilled down his husband's throat with a deep quake. He chanted Mike’s name with breathy whispers until he came back down.

“God, you taste so fucking good, Win.” Mike licked him clean and crawled up for a kiss. “And you’re still so hard, aren’t you?” Erwin wined into the kiss because he was, his knot hadn’t popped but he still felt so good. “Co-come on, M-Mike. Wanna feel y-you.” Erwin wrapped his legs around Mike's waist and pulled him close.

“Think you can take me now, baby? Hmm? Did that stretch you enough?” He pushed his hand between them and tugged on his cock to make Erwin writhe.

“Fuck. I don’t care. Just put it in me. It’s mine. Gimme. Please. Please, Mike.” Both of Erwin’s wrists were suddenly shoved between them and he wrapped his fingers around Mike.

“It’s yours, baby.” Erwin wined at the nickname and he started to pump his hands, eliciting an involuntary buck from Mike.

“All mine. Fuck me, Mike. My cock. Please.” His own blabbering was so beyond containing, but Erwin loved how Mike made him loose control.

“I got you, Win. I’m right here, baby.” Mike gave him one more deep kiss before leaning sideways to grab a box from their headboard. Erwin groaned when it was opened. “What is it? Your knot hurt, baby?”

“M-Mike, please…” Erwin continued pumping his hands as Mike continued to grind him.

“Needy little slut.” The words came out in a deep growl. “My needy alpha.”

Mike shoved Erwin's hands away and smacked Erwin's thighs away from his hips. Erwin's chest heaved but he relaxed into the bed to let Mike take care of him. Mike hauled him into his lap, large hands soothing over the skin. His palm ran over Erwin' cock until he reached the slightly-inflated knot at the base.

“Want me to put it on, Win?” The sultry voice made Erwin squirm and nod.

Erwin gripped the sheets when Mike thumbed over the bulge in his cock and massaged just above his hole. The pressure was heavenly, but it wasn’t enough. Mike rubbed his knot again before pulling Erwin's favorite item out of the box. It was a knot ring, made to mimic the grip of an omega when the knot fully expanded. Mike stretched the ring around Erwin and the shorter alpha groaned deeply.

“Mike. Fuck. Please fuck me. Miss my cock, Mike. Please. Mike.” Erwin's begging went straight to Mike's cock and he was slowly losing his patience.

“Going to ruin you, sweetie.” Mike pushed Erwin's legs open further and settled in between them. “You won’t even remember _my _name.”

Mike grasped the end of the plug again and eased it out but growled when Erwin's hole clenched at the removal. The friction was glorious His eyes rolled back and his cock twitched. Finally, the widest part of the plug stretched him, and Mike held it there.

“Look at you. That will be my cock in just a minute, Win. Does it feel good?” Erwin keened sharply and moved his hands up to grip Mike's shoulders. A few streams of clear fluid started to follow the plug out. “E-Erwin. Are…did you fill yourself with lube?”

“I t-told you w-we ne-needed more.” His breath hitched and he squirmed harder.

“How am I supposed to lube myself up then, hmm? Or…” He pulled the rest of the plug out in one long, lovely drag and tossed onto the floor. Seeing lube follow the toy out was enough for Mike to push Erwin's legs back to his chest and tip his hips off the bed. “Or did you just want me to shove it in? Is that it? Did you want me to force my cock in you baby? The one that’s just for you.”

“Mike, please. Please.” Erwin couldn’t hold on much longer, he was so close yet again just from so little in the grand scheme of the night. “I’m going to c-cum again and I n-need it to be on you. It’s mine. Please.”

Erwin gripped Mike’s shoulders until his knuckles turned white. His legs trembled and the stretch in his muscles ached but nothing was as sensitive as his cock. It twitched wildly against his body and he felt so empty, desperate. Mike steadied his weight on his heels, put one hand on Erwin’s chest, and used the other to line himself up.

“Ready, Erwin?” Mike leaned in for a tongue-filled kiss. “Ready for me to fill that hungry hole, baby?”

There was no time to reply before Erwin felt all of Mike’s weight put into the initial thrust. He breached Erwin easily, but his size was instantly an uncomfortable stretch even with the toy. Erwin tensed, but the pain, the burn, just feels incredible. Mike kissed him through the hisses that slipped and smiled when Erwin took one hand from his shoulder to tangle their fingers together.

“That’s it. Take it, Win. Take all my cock, baby.” Erwin could see Mike was finally starting to lose control. There was so much lube that Erwin could feel it overflowing, rolling down his ass and dripping to the blankets. “Fuck, you’re squeezing me so tight. You’re so _wet_, baby.”

Erwin moaned. He was filled so good. Mike finally bottomed out, bringing their hips flush together. Erwin’s entire body shook with pleasure as Mike prodded perfectly against his prostate. Moans overtook the kiss and hands roamed over sweaty skin.

“Mike. Oh fuck. Y-yes. Mike.” Erwin’s nails scraped over the larger man’s shoulders and he hid his face in the alpha’s neck.

“Goddamn. Y-you’re so tight, Erwin. Fuck. I’m not – I can’t – fuck, baby.” Mike grabs Erwin’s ankle and hoists the leg over his shoulder and digs his fingers into the meat of the thigh. “Tell me when. Fuck, please. Erwin, fuck. I won’t last long.”

“Ju-just ruin me. Feel s-so good. God, I want to cum. Please.” Erwin tightened and moaned loudly when Mike twitched inside of him. His knot was already slightly inflated and pressing against Erwin.

Mike growled dangerously and nudged Erwin’s cheek until they made eye contact again. The shorter alpha had tears in the corner of his eyes and drool around the corners of his mouth. It was bliss. Erwin leaned forward to press their lips together for a chaste kiss. Between heavy breaths, the two men nosed into each other’s nicks, exchanging words of love and soft smiles.

“Don’t hold back, Mike. I need it. Please, alpha.” Erwin’s arms wrapped around the man’s neck. Mike’s skin was hot, blushed, sweaty, and pulled tight.

“Let me hear how good I make my alpha feel.”

With that, Mike pulled out to the tip and drove back in. They both let out moans, Erwin’s more of a cry followed by a sharp intake of breath. The heat, the fullness, stretch, pleasure, all of the waves filled the room and tangled together, layers bare and open to the both of them to feel.

“Yes, Erwin. Fuck, yes, baby. Ah, Erwin.” Mike ‘s babbling was now as bad a Erwin’s.

Their hips bounced together, a deep, obscene, squelching noise s was heard, but neither was paying attention. As Mike moved, each thrust filled Erwin to the brim . His body was on fire with each weighted movement knocked directly against that sweet spot and sent electricity to nerve. His cock ached mercilessly, beads of precum rolling from the tip to pool in the golden hairs around his knot.

“Erwin. My Erwin. My sweet alpha feels so. Fucking. Good. Ahh, fuck.” Mike punctuated each word with thrusts hard enough to move Erwin across the mattress. “W-who needs an omega when y-you have an ass like this, huh. Sucking me in so deep, baby. Hot, fucking tight and hot, Win.”

“I-it's yo-your ass, Mike.” The blonde moaned shamelessly, but they were quickly being reduced to high pitched whines and weak grunts.

“Got that goddamn right it’s mine, you slut.” Mike licked across his chest.

Erwin was so close, his knot was so tight, almost close to popping. Almost there but Mike’s waves were weakening. He needed his husband to let go. Erwin needed Mike to give him everything. Erwin released his grip on Mike’s hair to cup his alpha’s face.

Eyes met, dilated pupils stared deep into each other searching for but not finding any signs of discomfort. There was only pleasure, lust, and the thrumming need for ultimate relief. Thrusts were full of love and desire. Tears rolled down Erwin’s face and Mike moved a hand to thumb them away with a soft smile.

“Fi-fill me up, Mike. Knot me, please.” It was what Erwin needed, wanted, and he could see how bad his husband wanted it too. He reached between them and wrapped his fingers around himself, breath hitching instantly and back arching off the bed . “M-Mike!”

“Fuck fuck fuck, Erwin.” Mike’s hips stuttered violently, and his knot caught on Erwin’s hole. “Ca-can you t-take it. I didn’t stre–”

“Mike just do it! Please, god, please…” Erwin’s pleads were weak, but his need was clear. He tried to move his hand in time with Mike’s thrusts, but his trembling made it difficult to keep the rhythm.

“Okay, fuck. Oh, fuck yes. Okay, baby. I got you. Come here.” Mike paused his thrusts for a split second to move Erwin’s leg from his shoulder. He looped one arm under the blonde’s shoulders and hugged him close. “Want to bite, baby?”

“Y-yes! Oh, yes, please. Please bite me. Please, Mike. Please.” Erwin found Mike’s mate mark instantly and stated to suckle on it, and Mike did the same. “Let go, alpha. Please.”

Mike was too easy, and begging was all it took. The taller blonde growled deeply, the sound bouncing around in his chest like a bullet. He planted his knees, adjusted his weight, and moved his other hand to knock Erwin’s fingers away from his cock.

“Ready, Win? Ready to take my knot, baby?” Mike kissed the man’s mark softly.

“Mine. My knot. All mine.” Erwin growled harshly, gave one final lick across the mark under his lips, and bit down harshly. Teeth broke flesh, blood flowed freely, and the mark was refreshed.

Mike snarled and Erwin’s cry was muffled against the skin of his throat. Mike pulled back to the tip and slammed home without mercy. He started a bruising, deadly pace and tugged on Erwin’s cock in time. The heat was scalding and the tightening hold gave him absolutely everything he wanted.

Erwin’s body seized again, and he raked his fingers down Mike’s back, breaking skin. His prostate was pummeled. Erwin, speechless, grunted and squeaked weakly, but the sound of thrusting drowned him out. Mike pumped his hips and hand three more times before pulling out, pausing for a second, and suddenly gripped Erwin’s neck in his teeth.

Mike shoved his knot past the tight ring of Erwin’s hole, feeling it pop to full size, and released a moan of relief. Erwin choked, his own knot popping, and the band created the last bit of glorious friction he needed. Mike thrusted as much as he could, more like a grind, and pumped Erwin through his orgasm. Heat flooded Erwin’s body as Mike filled him with a strong and heavy warmth. Mike groaned louder when Erwin finally constricted around him. So tight he couldn’t move, but it was all amazing enough to make his vision go white as he was milked dry.

They came down together with heaving, gasping breaths and there was so much cum between them when Erwin finally finished. They released each other’s necks and pressed their lips together in a sloppily kiss, moaning weakly into one another and breathed through the last shocks of pleasure.

“Goddamn. You feel so good, Win. Are you okay?” This probably wasn’t the best position for them to hold. Mike’s legs had already started to shake from the position, but it was too late to move.

“You’re so fucking huge, Mike. Fuck.” They exchanged a soft kiss. “Fuck, yes, I’m okay. I feel so fucking good. You look uncomfortable, just move us. I’ll be fine.”

“Mmm, in a minute. Let me look at you _not_ in a lot of pain for a little bit more.” Mike nuzzled the middle of Erwin’s chest.

“I love you, alpha.” Erwin kissed his hair.

“I love you too, alpha.”


	2. No Anesthesia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surgery day and questioning alphas

Neighbors. Fucking loud, hot, alpha neighbors. Levi heard every sneeze, snore, groan, and moan the two men made in the apartment above him. Oddly enough, between the new surrounding and the having-sex-at-three-in-the-morning-because-the-other-four-rounds-weren’t-enough blondes, he’d slept better this weekend than he had in a year. He chalked it up to the prospect of a decent surgery and the brand-new, two-thousand-dollar mattress his mother had insisted on getting him. The comfort and more restful sleeping had given him a slightly better attitude and helped stave off his nightmares. Over all of that, though, was the fact that Levi had been in substantially less pain. A strange, soothing, evergreen scent leaking into his apartment which carried him to his happy place: the middle of uncharted territory with nothing but the soft sounds of the small streams, lazy birds, and rustling leaves. 

For the first time in a while, he felt safe.

His second alarm pulled him from the doze he’d been floating in since the initial alarm signaled the start of the day. Levi tapped the dismissal button and stretched as gently as he could. His head dropped back to the semi-scratchy sheets as he laid there for another moment. Taking in the darkness of the room and the comfort of the mattress, he smirked when he heard a few deep snores from the alphas above him.

“Levi? Honey, you awake?” Kuchel knocked on his door gently before stepping inside.

“Mmm, yea.” He pushed the hair out of his face and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

“We have to get a move on here pretty soon. We can’t be late.” She pulled the string on a tall lamp by the door. It was Monday: surgery day. And they had to be there in an hour to start his pre-op.

Kuchel tugged on a few strands of his hair and Levi attempted to sit up. Moving slowly to deter as much pain as possible, he scowled at his mother but didn’t say anything while she proceeded to scurry around his room assembling his outfit for the day. 

“Here. Let me braid your hair back.” She never braided his hair unless she was stressing.

“Mom, everything is going to be fine.” Levi slipped his legs over the edge of the bed as she took her place behind him.

“I know, honey.” She started to hum as she picked at the end of his hair before moving further up.

Levi sat in silence and let his eyes flutter closed while Kuchel tried to cope. She pulled, tugged, brushed, and twisted everything together with ease until a neat, braided bun sat on his head. She even remembered to brush his bangs loose to hang around his eyes. She started to settle as she worked, but a tinge of sadness and worry was constant.

“I love you.” Kuchel dropped the brush on the bed and pulled Levi into a soft hug.

“I love you too, ma.” He reached over his shoulder and patted her head. “This is an easy one, really. Everything is going to be just fine.”

Levi would be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly scared. Five surgeries in less than a year and a half was terrifying, unsafe, and probably taunting death by that point. He was optimistic about this new surgeon but he’d been hopeful before.

“I know, I know.” Kuchel pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder. “Alright, up up. Let’s get going.”

He dressed quickly and was glad that he remembered his jacket. The sharpness of the chilly morning air licked around his legs and had settled into the old leather seats of Kuchel's truck over the course of the night. Though it didn’t take long for the vehicle’s manufactured heat to reach his face, his ass was still freezing when they reached the hospital.

“Good morning, good morning.” Dr. Dalton walked into Levi's room with a warm smile. “Hi, you must be Kuchel.”

“Hi, yes. Hello.” They exchanged a small handshake while a nurse started an IV for Levi.

“Okay, so the OR is getting set up. No food or drink past ten last night, right? Did you take your meds this morning?”

“Nope. And I’m dying of thirst and might go mental before you guys get me back there, so I’d say we are in the clear.” Seeing the anxiety in his mother’s face, Levi tried to chuckle with his joke, but growled when the IV finally slid under his skin. The man apologized and quickly taped everything down.

“The surgery shouldn’t take too long. You’ll eat and drink something before you know it.” He confirmed Levi’s chart data, took his vitals, and double-checked the drip rate on the bag. “Okay, we’ll be wheeling you back in just a few minutes to get you prepped. Do you want to hang out in the waiting room, Ms. Ackerman?”

“Kuchel, please. And, no, I’m probably going to head back home to do a little bit of unpacking. Hospitals and I haven’t gotten along very well this past year.” She rubbed over Levi’s hair. “Probably seems unconventional for a mother to leave though; maybe I should stay.”

“Mom, no. Go–”

“No. With everything you’ve both been through, leaving is completely understandable. Someone will call you when we’re finishing up so you’ll know to head back this way or if there are any complications, of course. But I don’t see foresee any difficulties.” Dr. Dalton made a few more notes on Levi’s chart and group of nurses came in behind him. “Alright, it looks like everything is ready. Let’s get this show on the road shall we?”

“I’ll see you when you wake up, honey.” Kuchel pressed a kiss to the top of Levi’s head.

“Go home and relax. Everything is going to be fine, mom.” Levi gripped her fingers when Kuchel reached for his hands. “Seriously, go. It’s a clean up. It’ll be okay.”

“Okay, okay fine. I love you.”

“I love you, too, mom.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Levi’s eyes fluttered open just enough to catch the haze of color in the room. He was hurting. An incredible pain had spread over his entire body like he’d fallen down a mountain at full speed. His chest rattled with each breath, more pain with every rise and fall of his rib cage, and a deep wheezing accompanied every move. There were two sets of beeping, one significantly slower than the other, but both just as continuously annoying. Voices drifted through the beeping, an unknown man and a familiar woman. He heard his name, then felt something against his face. Hands?

“Levi-baby. Honey?” Two hands with skinny fingers. The distinct smell of his mother filled his nose, but it was highly distressed and thrumming with sadness.

His vision blurred as his eyes floated around in his head then came back. He was trying to focus on her voice. Was she crying? Her hands shook, vibrating against his cheeks, and swiped over his skin.

“Baby? Look at me. Right here, sweetheart. Levi?” She sniffled heavily. She steadied his face, gripped it, and it helped to keep his attention.

Levi’s vision started to focus and clear as Kuchel’s face came into view. She looked terrible. Her skin was pale, a tinge of green to it, with swollen, puffy eyes. The more he came to, the more he hurt. His heart hurt, everything ached. Why was she crying? He tried to speak, but the wheezing in his chest increased.

“No, no, honey. Shh. Shh. It’s okay. Oh, hi. My god, my baby. Hello.” She fingered through his hair but snagged on mats.

“M-mom?” Levi's voice was cracked and breathy. “Wh-what are you…where…”

“Levi, baby. Focus. Come on, baby.”

He slowly came around. The room smelled sterile, but reeked of stress, heartache, and mourning. Another machine beeped, hissed, and rattled close to him. Kuchel's face was the only thing he could see. Everything was slanted, and Levi realized he was laying sideways, slightly propped.

“Mom. What’s going on?”

It was a hospital room. A man came into view, standing over Kuchel's shoulder. He had on a while coat, glasses balanced on his nose, and was holding a tablet. The hissing sound happened again and the man looked in its direction.

“Baby, I need you to focus. Okay. Can you do that? Can you focus for me, baby?” Tears spilled from her eyes and trailed down her cheeks.

“Okay…?” The hissing came again. A lonely, heavy dread started to creep its way into Levi's system.

“Mr. Ackerman, my name is Dr. Fieldsman. Can you hear me?” The man spoke slowly.

The hissing noise sounded again. It was rhythmic and constant.

“Y-yes.” Levi was so tired. He blinked when his vision blurred again.

“Mr. Ackerman, you are slightly sedated, but I need you to focus for me. There are a few things we need to discuss. Do you think you can do that?”

Sedated? Why was he sedated? More hissing and more blurry vision.

“O-okay?” He tried to nod, but Kuchel held his head steady.

“Levi.” She cried harder, large tears boiling over to drip from her chin. “Listen to him, okay baby? I’m right here.”

His bones were hot and heavy as pain soared through his skin. It streaked across his limbs and blanketed his entire body the more he regained consciousness. He grimaced, it hurt. Kuchel cooed and touched his hair. He was so lonely. There was something missing. 

“You’ve been in a pretty bad accident and you’re at Richardson Memorial. Do you remember what happened? Any details?”

An accident? No, that couldn’t be right.

“W-what? No. No that’s not – what?” More hissing, more beeping, more pain. “O-ow. Mom?”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m right here. You’re okay.” She smiled at him.

“Try to stay calm, but you sustained substantial injuries to your spine and ribs, Mr. Ackerman..” The doctor stepped in closed and put a hand on Kuchel's shoulder. “Also, I’m so sorry to tell you, but you lost your litter.”

Tears broke over Levi's eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Kuchel rubbed at his tears but her own continue to spill. He hadn’t even told Farlan yet. Levi had only just found out a few days ago. He should have told him. Farlan needed to know. He should have told him. Where was Farlan?

“I – he should – need to tell him.” Kuchel cried a bit harder and leaned her forehead against Levi's. He could feel the panic on her skin, in her scent. “Far!”

Levi tried to roll sideways, but a swarm of pain ripped the air from his lungs, wrecked his ribs and stilled his movements. His muscles seized and he howled.

“No. No, honey, stop. Please.”

“Please do not move, Mr. Ackerman. Your spine is still unstable.” The beeping closest to Levi accelerated, his own heart thundering in his chest.

The hissing came again. More pain coursed through him. Kuchel tried her hardest to release calming waves but they were aflame with sorrow.

“Levi, honey, calm down. Please.”

“I’m going to step out and give you guys a few minutes to talk. Just let us know whenever you’re done.”

Levi didn’t follow the leaving footsteps. Talk about what? He didn’t understand any of this. None of it made any sense. When was he an accident? Where the hell was Richardson Memorial? Why did everything hurt so much? Where was Farlan? 

“Levi, baby, listen. Look at me. Breathe and calm down. Okay?” He focused back on Kuchel when her waves wrapped him in a citrus calm.

“Mom, what – I don’t…what’s going on, mom?” He tried to move his hands to cover hers that cupped his face, but every movement hurt.

“We can talk about that later, sweetheart. Right…right now we need to talk about Farlan, baby. But you–”

“Where is he, mom? I don’t – I can’t smell him. Where is he?” The beeping near him was more incessant and Kuchel release more waves. “Farlan!”

Levi needed his mate. He lost their litter, Farlan needed to know. Why wasn’t he here? He would be here if Levi had really been in an accident, right? Because Farlan cared for him like that. Where was Farlan?

“Levi, calm down and listen to me. Can you do that?” Levi caught Kuchel's eyes and nodded. “Good, okay, good boy. Okay. Now. Now, this is really important. And it’s really important that you stay calm and breathe and listen to me okay?”

Levi's wheezing slightly subsided the more she talked, the more her waves washed over him. She gave him a wide, beautiful smile and thanked him. Her eyes darted across his face and she swiped over his cheeks with her thumbs.

“Levi.” She sniffled and took in a deep, rattled breath. “Baby. My sweet boy.”

Levi reached for her face, she shouldn’t be crying this hard. His eyes caught the large IV taped to the back of his hand. His mother was the one that was sick, why did his arms have bandages on them?

“Levi, honey. Farlan…he didn’t…he was in the accident with you, baby. He…he got hurt really bad and…he didn’t…he’s not…” Kuchel sobbed hard and took another breath. “I’m going to let you see him, but you have to stay calm. Do you understand?”

He nodded and she smiled. Levi couldn’t think, could barely breathe. He’d never seen his mother like this. But Farlan was here, even if he was hurt, he was still here. Levi couldn’t smell him, maybe they’d given him some medication? Was he too tired to smell him? Too hurt? It didn’t matter, Farlan was here. Everything would be okay.

Kuchel sat up in her seat and slid back. Levi’s eyes went unfocused for a second, but he blinked through it. Across from him was Farlan. In a hospital bed. With tubes down his throat and a dozen of wires hooked up to machines. He was pale and his chest was rising at a consistent pace, timed perfectly with the hissing noise of a ventilator. Levi's heart dropped in his chest because Farlan, his beautiful mate, was right there but he couldn’t smell him.

“F-Far? B-baby?” Levi tried to reach out for him, but Kuchel met his fingers instead. "Baby, wake up. Come on. Talk to me."

“Levi, you still have to listen to me. Okay?” Levi’s eyes darted between her and Farlan.

He didn’t look like he was hurting. He looked like he was sleeping. Farlan loved to sleep. He was just resting.

“He’s okay, right?” Kuchel didn’t answer right away. "We have tickets to a movie later.”

“Levi, honey. No, he’s not okay, baby.” Kuchel blocked his view of Farlan again; he could just see the alpha's hair past her shoulder. “Pay attention to me for a second, okay? And then I’ll let you see him again. Okay?”

Levi's lips quivered and his body started to shake, causing more pain to take over his nerves. Kuchel didn’t have good news. He knew it. He could tell.

“Serious conversation time. I know everything hurts and I know you’re confused. I’ll explain everything else later, but I need you to concentrate on me, okay?” Kuchel smiled when he nodded at her and she started to pet his head. “My good boy. Okay. Remember to breathe for me.”

Kuchel took a deep breath, blinked through a few fat tears, and smiled again. Her smile was so pretty. Farlan always smiled when she smiled, even if they were arguing.

“Farlan was hurt really bad, sweetheart. And he…he isn’t going to wake up, baby. These machines are keeping him alive, but he isn’t getting any better."

"But he has to. I have something special planned for his birthday. It's this fancy cruise. He's always wanted to go on one." Levi laughed at the thought of the blonde getting sunburnt.

"Honey, no. Listen to me, dear. Levi, the doctors tried everything. Baby, they did absolutely everything they could, but he's gone. He's brain dead and he can't come back from that. Do you understand what that means?"

Levi felt himself nod, but he was sure that he heard her incorrectly. He knew what that meant. His tears rolled more freely as he tried to steal another peek at Farlan, but Kuchel moved with him.

“His body is really hurt and I think…I think that it’s time to let him go, sweetheart.” She carded through his hair gently.

"B-but he...his chest is still moving. This is just a joke, right?" He felt like he was going to be sick. "Are you lying to me?"

"No! Baby, absolutely not. I would never do that to you." Kuchel brushed her knuckles over his cheek. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Everything suddenly hurt so much more than it did when he woke up. His vision blurred as tears overflowed his lids. His wheezing deepened and the beeping quickly became relentless. His chest ached and burned.

“You have to calm down, Levi. Please, breathe, okay?” She thumbed over his face again and wiped her own on her sleeve. 

The citrus of Kuchel waves was strong enough to make him slightly nauseous. In this moment, he hated it. Farlan smelled so nice, so amazing. He missed the mint scent of his mate. He would never smell it again. Levi was exhausted and now, he in unimaginable pain. A whine crept up his throat and he tried his hardest to push it down. Farlan would want him to be strong.

“T-there’s no-nothing? They can’t…they…” Levi stammered across a dozen questions as they rushed through the sluggishness of his brain.

“They did absolutely everything. There just isn’t any brain activity, baby. There’s nothing else they can do.” Kuchel wiped her face again and looked over shoulder. “They said they’d push the beds together for you, so you could have a few minutes with him. Do you want that?”

Levi nodded so suddenly he made himself dizzy. He wanted to touch him. Surely, if there was any speck of him left, Farlan would wake up when their hands touched. Farlan was always so responsive when their skin came together. It always soothed him when he was mad, got him going after a tiring day. It would work, he was sure of it.

“Okay. Okay, one second.” Kuchel looked back and waved her hand. “Okay, just stay still.”

Nurses blurred together as wires were sorted and machines moved around. The beds were finally moved together, slowly, and Farlan was by his side again, in his rightful place. Kuchel kissed Levi on the head, told him she would be right outside then left them in silence.

Farlan’s skin was pale, no color in his cheeks. Not even a sickly flush. Levi’s hand shook as he reached across the sheets. The alpha's face was warm, felt normal, but had no scent. The mint was gone, no pain smell, no waves, nothing. He was barren of anything and everything that made him Farlan. The monitor sounded with constant beeps, The ventilator puffed and hissed to puppeteer his lungs. His arms were wrapped in thick bandages. What little skin Levi could actually see was covered in gashes and bruises. Levi reached out and gripped the only hand he could, bringing it as close to his body as possible. It came completely limp and with no grip of its own. 

“Far?” There was only silence as he cupped the alpha's cheek with his other hand and thumbed over it. “P-please talk to me. Please?”

Levi's pleas came out as squeaks, small cries from a deep part of his chest that he didn’t know existed. He felt so empty, like his body had become a black hole that nothing could survive in. If Farlan didn’t wake up, he would be alone. Izzy wasn’t here. Had she been in the accident too? Was she just in a different room? What happened?

“Please wake up. I just want to go home.” Levi tried to shift again, but a deep, horrendous pain held him back “Alpha, please. Please help me. It hurts.”

He stared at the man's colorless face for what felt like hours. Levi begged for a word, a sniffle, any form of movement to suggest that the love of his life was still in there, but nothing happened.

“I can’t…I can’t raise these pups by myself. Please!” He listened to the beeps and hums of the machines, but they provided no answers or comfort.

“Levi? Baby?” Kuchel came back into sight just on the other side of Farlan. She was still crying with a smile on her face. “Look at my boys.”

Kuchel eased onto the bed next to Farlan and ran her fingers through his hair. She pushed it out of the way of his forehead and placed a kiss between his eyes. They stared at him together as Kuchel hummed a lullaby that Levi hadn't heard in years. Something pulled her attention away, back to the door of the room.

“Levi, honey, they need to go ahead and put you back under so you can rest.” She reached across Farlan and patted the hand that held Farlan's. “Okay? You can hold his hand while you fall asleep. They’ll take care of him for you.”

“Wait. Wait. Just…wait.” Levi cupped Farlan's harder as people came back into the room. Kuchel detached herself from Farlan and came around to Levi's side. “Will…will it hurt him? Will he feel anything?”

“I don’t think so, no. He hasn’t responded to stimuli at all.” The doctor stood at the edge of the beds and nurses stood on both sides. “Nora is going to go ahead and administer your sedatives.”

“N-no. Let me – I want…I want to watch.” Levi tried to move closer to Farlan, but pain prevented any movement.

“I’ll watch him baby. I promise you can hold his hand the whole time. I won’t let them move him.” Her words made him squeeze Farlan tighter when the nurse stepped closer to his bed.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry. Pl-please. Please wake up. Please.” A chill ran through his veins and his eye started to droop. His hand slipped from Farlan's face as his muscles relaxed and the darkness edged in on his vision, but their fingers remained tangled together.

Levi started a mantra of “please don’t go”s and “I love you”s. He didn’t care about the crowd of people around them, he had minutes left with Farlan and he was going to spend them how he wanted.

“Alpha, please…”

~~~~~~~~~~

Mahogany. Levi's nose picked up the smell before his body could register anything else. It was faint, barely there, but incredibly comforting as the world started to return. The woody smell seemed to keep all irritation at bay, the consistent beeping from the heart monitor and the twinges of pain that worsened as he stirred.

His eyes opened but required a few rounds of blinking to focus. The room was bright, white, bare, just as he remembered it. His head lulled to the side and Kuchel came into sight, fingers chicken-pecking at the screen of her phone.

“That’s why it takes you eight years to respond to my messages.” Levi's voice was groggy, but it pulled her attention directly to him.

“Hey, there, you.” She gave him a warm, happy smile and came over to sit on the side of his bed.

“What time is it?” Levi pulled in a deep breath and hummed as the scent filled his nose. He turned his head again and realized it was coming from his pillow, one from his bed at home.

“Just after three. Dr. Dalton said to let you sleep as long as you wanted. Let me go get him, though.” Kuchel hastily padded out of the room.

Levi watched the doorway, expecting a quick return, but found himself distracted by that scent yet again. He gently twisted to pull the pillow from behind his head and squeeze it against his chest. He wanted to chase that deep smell because he was bewildered by it’s strange ability to make him feel at ease. A sudden realization hit Levi's brain: the woody smell wasn’t accompanied by anything; there was no smell of infection on his skin anymore. A moment after Levi buried his face in the plushy material, an attempt to drown himself in more of the glorious tone, two pair of footsteps came back into the room.

“Mr. Ackerman. How are we feeling?” Dr. Dalton plucked his chart from the foot of the bed and flipped through the most recent pages.

“Tired.” Levi rubbed at his face and pierced his chin on the pillow.

“That’s expected. How’s your pain level at the moment?” The man came forward to take his vitals.

“Uh, not the greatest, but manageable.” Levi winced sharply when the doctor eased him forward to check his incision.

“I know we spoke about it before, but are you absolutely sure about declining the pain medication? I’m not trying to change your mind, I just want you to be as comfortable as possible during your recovery.” Next, Dr. Dalton tested the reflexes and movement in his legs and toes. Levi was very happy to see that everything seemed just as functional as it had been earlier that day.

“I am, yes.” Levi softly glared at his mother when she made a noise at his statement.

“Very well.” A chair was rolled up to the side of the bed. “So, your surgery went very well. I have to admit, I am surprised, but very happy to say that your nerve was still intact and relatively uncompromised. That being said, you did have a very deep infection so I had to remove quite a bit of tissue and even a little bit of muscle. It wasn't as bad an I expected, though.”

Levi relaxed with that news. Sure, having some of your muscle removed didn’t exactly make any of this a cake walk in the grand scheme of things, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Kuchel danced a bit on her feet and the happiness in her waves made Levi smile in her direction.

“So, what is the next step?” The question nervously crawled out of Levi's throat.

“I believe, as I did last week, that a spinal fusion is still the best option for you. I’ll be able to line everything back up, which should relieve the pressure on your nerves. That is the biggest goal for me, if I’m being honest with you. It should give your spine more stability because you’ll have metal holding it together. That’s the tentative plan.” His face conveyed confidence and honesty.

For the first time in a long time, Levi felt like he could finally breathe. He’d been expecting more bad news, that’s all he’d gotten with each surgery before. With nothing left to lose, Levi was sure that he would wake up only to find that he'd lost his ability to walk; a small part of him worried that he wouldn't wake up at all. He was so happy to be wrong.

“So, when does that happen? When do we schedule that? Because my son really deserves that.” Kuchel spoke up.

“Mom–”

“No!” She actually rose her voice, which took Levi by surprise. “You deserve this. You’ve been waiting for this and you – that’s good news and when have you ever gotten that? Never, that’s fucking when.”

The scent of overwhelming guilt drifted through the air as Kuchel covered her face with her hands and started to cry. Levi immediately began to panic because his mother never cried in public. He knew she felt guilty for the choices that were made, but he’d never blamed her for anything. Levi reached his hand out but came up just short of being able to touch her.

“Kuchel.” Dr. Dalton stood from his seat and slowly rounded the hospital bed. He gently gripped the woman's upper arms and squeezed them with a reassuring press. “I say this with the up most confidence: from now on, good news is all you will be getting.”

A sob wracked it’s way through his mother’s chest, Kuchel quickly pulled herself back together, rubbed underneath her eyes, and hoarsely laughed when the doctor plucked a tissue from the table nearby.

“God, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She wiped her cheeks off and balled the tissue up in her hand. Dr. Dalton chuckled lightly and reassured her with words to dismiss her worries.

“Pull yourself together, woman.” Levi spoke jokingly and reached for her hand again.

“So, our next steps will be letting your back heal as much as possible before we go back in. I want to make sure we cleared out all of the infection before we ask your body to accept more trauma.” Dr. Dalton didn’t miss Kuchel's fingers tighten around Levi's hand. “Don’t let that alarm you, though, because I’m very confident that there’s nothing left, but your immune system has been overworked for quite some time so I’d rather be safe than sorry.

“I definitely want to keep you here for a few days, but that’s just a safety precaution for mobility and pain tolerance. The recovery period that I want us to try and get to is about six weeks, but the antibiotics are a four-week course. I’ll set up a follow-up for the day after those run out. As long as you are infections free and everything is still in order then, we will set up the surgery. How does that sound?”

“That…” Levi's mind felt like it was going a mile a minute.

Was this it? Was this really happening to him right now?

“This is good news.” Dr. Dalton repeated the words with a gentle smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ahh! Gentleman, gentleman! How are my favorite alphas today?” Hange bustled through the exam room door and slid into the rolling chair.

“Hans, my dear.” Mike exchanged a quick handshake while Erwin nodded.

“We’re good I hope.” He leaned into Mike's shoulder.

“Let’s take a look here then.” Hans crossed an ankle over their knee and scrolled over a medical tablet. “Any specific reason you wanted everything tested?”

“We, uh, just noticed a sudden change the other day. That’s all.” Mike muttered the words.

“What kind of change?” They continued to read hormone and blood test results.

Mike looked over at Erwin because he didn’t quite know what to say. It wasn’t that he would necessarily be ashamed to tell the doctor they’d spent the entire weekend fucking, but he was a little nervous to say they’d both been reactive to the new scent in the house below them. Who’s idea was it to build the houses with floors so thin? Whoever they were, a small part of Mike’s brain wanted to find them and shake their hand. That was how he knew this appointment was so necessary. He’d never been so in love with the smell of tea or honey before. It had been a small scent, but ever so present in the air to seep into their skin.

“We, um.” Erwin looked at Hange and blushed. “Someone, uh, moved in the house under us and, uh…they smell.”

The doctor's face crinkled for a moment.

“What he means is that we noticed their scent.” Mike laughed nervously when the confused look was replaced by an arched eyebrow.

“I don’t really understand why that would prompt you to come here.” Hange sat the tablet to the side and adjusted their glasses.

“We don’t notice scent.” Erwin's voice wavered slightly. “He’s an omega. We have _never _been attracted to an omega before, neither of us.”

“We noticed him, Hans. There has to be something going on.” Mike readjusted in his seat. “We’ve both been really stressed lately so something has to be off.”

Hange looked between both of them for a moment. They grabbed their tablet again and scrolled over a few more things before chuckling softly.

“Guys, your hormones are just fine. Your ruts came just as scheduled last month, your blood counts look great, your levels are perfect.”

“Surely something is off. Are you sure?” It was unlike Erwin to question the doctor.

“I’m positive. Your tests were perfectly normal.” Hange eyed them both again, twiddling their fingers as they pondered. “Can I ask you two a question?”

Mike and Erwin both nodded, anything to find out what was going on. Mike certainly hoped it was something simple because neither of them liked taking medication.

“Okay, so don’t bite my head off for this, but have you ever considered adding another partner into your relationship?”

The question made Mike's eyes widen considerably and Erwin choke on a cough. The notion was strange to Mike because of course he hadn’t. He’d never had eyes for another human being since meeting his husband .

“What kind of question is that?” Erwin sounded bewildered.

“Hey, now, don’t give me that look. You act like it’s a ridiculous idea. You both know good and well that my sibling is alpha for two omegas.” Hange's voice was firm. “Did I tell you they’re all getting married?”

“No, no, I remember.” Erwin blinked rapidly as he answered. “I mean, Hans, they’re a wonderful trio, but us? Have you seen the way we look at one another?”

“Hange neither of us have ever been interested in other people.” Mike hope they believed him, not that they had a reason to think he was lying. “We are perfectly happy.”

“I wasn’t questioning your happiness, Mike. It was just a question.” They stuck their hands up in caution. “I only ask because this is exactly how Jay and Juni felt when they met their other omega. And you know they were bonded and mated already before they met him.”

“So, what? You’re telling me we've all of a sudden, become attracted to another person? Hans, we just met him.” Erwin sounded ready to dismiss the wild idea.

“You know this happens all the time, right? People are in three, even four-people bonds. It’s not new, either, it’s just more openly talked about nowadays.”

Mike was still a bit taken aback. Erwin had always been it for him. There was never anything missing, he didn’t feel lonely or the desire for more. He had to admit, though, that the traces of honey and tea that lingered on his skin were comforting.

“But, like, how do you know?” Mike looked over to Erwin and recognized the same question on his face. “An alpha coworker of mine says he’s always known he was going to have more than one partner.”

“You talking about Bucky?” Erwin scratched his chin.

“Yeah. We were talking about love and shit one night and he said they all waited until they found another to get married.”

“I’ve heard some people are like that, that they just feel like they have room in the heart for more than one partner. For some, though, I think it just happens.” Hange leaned forward and braced their elbows on their knees. “I’m not saying it’s the answer, but I _am_ saying that your physical levels are perfectly fine. The both of you are completely healthy.”

“What else could it–” Mike’s phone suddenly rang, interrupting his question.

Erwin looked over at him while he picked it up. It was his boss calling him in to work, nothing new there, but he was still a bit upset. This was something they needed to figure out.

“Sorry, duty calls.” Mike patted Erwin's thigh when he groaned unhappily. “Shadis just needs some paperwork done. I’ll probably be home before your shift is over.”

“What’s wrong, Erwin? Not enough marathon sex?” Hange stood to straighten their coat.

“Can you ever have too much sex?” Erwin smacked Mike on the ass as they left.

The drive home was short, just beating the lunch rush, and was spent mostly talking about the likelihood of Shadis revealing a case when Mike arrived at the office. Working for the FBI had it’s perks, but surprise cases that kidnapped the large blonde away from his husband wasn’t one of them. As they rolled up to the house and into the garage, it was pretty easy to see Kuchel struggling to bring arm-fulls of things out to the trashcan. Both of the blondes chuckled lightly as their truck moved into the garage.

“Here, let’s help her really quick.” Mike released his seatbelt.

“No. You, sir, need to go get changed. I’ll help her. I don’t want you to be later than you already will be.” The man smiled lovingly at him from across the center console.

“You need to sleep before your shift starts.” The larger alpha brushed a fringe of hair away from Erwin's eyes.

“I will nap, I promise. I’m sure she only has a few things. I’ll be up before you’re gone.” The alpha walked around to Mike’s side of the truck and pulled the door open.

“You know,” Mike felt a spark of heat filter through his blood. “If you hurry, we can do a quickie in the shower. I know you’re still open from last night.”

Mike snaked his arms around Erwin's waist and pulled him close before pressing him back against the truck. The smaller man moaned, giggled, and squirmed when large hands squeezed him. Their lips connected into a deep, slightly lustful kiss.

“You know I would beg for you to knot me again and you would get in a lot of trouble.” Erwin smiled into the kiss, which made Mike laugh from the validity of the statement.

“Mmm, I guess you’re right.” Mike leaned in to rub their noses together.

“You know I am. Now, go.” Erwin pinched at the alpha's chest as he moved past him to head inside.

The weather way breezy and a little chilly but Erwin was quick to notice the sweat that collected on Kuchel's brow. She was seated on the edge of the porch taking a small break.

“Good afternoon” Erwin called out cheerfully.

“Oh! Erwin, hello. How are you?” She waved and gave him a tired smile.

“I’m good, thank you. That was a good bit of trash you had a minute ago, do you need some help? You look a bit worn out.” Erwin immediately noticed the way she tried to calm her labored breathing.

“No, no. Don’t be silly. I’m just old, that’s all.” Kuchel chuckled lightly and waved again. “I’m fine really. I’m actually mostly finished. I was just getting a bit of cleaning done before I head back to the hospital.”

The sound of the three syllable word started a simmer of caution under Erwin's skin. It was in that moment that he realized Levi's scent wasn’t here. A lingering honey-tea came from the open front door, but no scent strong enough to suggest the man was inside.

“The hospital? Is everything okay?” Erwin's voice dropped an octave.

“Oh yeah, everything is fine. Levi's surgery just finished so I’m going to go check on him.”

It was like a string of alarms went off inside Erwin's mind. He suddenly had a dozen question. Why was Levi there? Was he okay? Had he gotten sick? Fallen? The blonde felt his phone vibrating wildly in his pocket, but before he could pluck it from his pants, Kuchel giggled behind her hand.

“He’s fine, calm down.” The giggled turned into a small bubble of laughter. “God, I can smell you from over here.”

“I don’t – I’m not sure what you mean.” As his waves calmed, he retrieved his phone.

**Bloodhound ****❤💙💚****:** babe you okay? 

**Bloodhound ****❤****💙💚****:** hello?

**Bloodhound ****❤****💙💚****:** Erwin, answer me

**Erwin:** Yeah, yeah. Everything is okay. Sorry, Kuchel said Levi was in the hospital. She said he’s fine. Sorry.

The woman laughed softly again as she stood from the porch. “He had one of his first back surgeries this morning. They just called me a few minutes ago to tell me that it went well.”

“T-that’s good. That’s awesome.” Erwin wanted to say that he was happy Levi was okay but he didn’t. His phone vibrated again but he left it alone.

“I have another couple of bags to get rid of and I’m off to go see him.” Kuchel was about to start up the stairs when she broke out into a coughing fit and reached for the railing.

“Okay, that settles it, young lady.” Erwin shook his head as he came forward to direct her back into her previous seat. “I’m getting it for you. Where is it?”

“It’s – guest room.” Her words were interrupted by more coughing.

Erwin paced into the house but stopped by the kitchen first to grab a glass and fix Kuchel some water. The smell of Levi, even with the door and windows open, got stronger the further he ventured into the house. The smoky scent from a few days before seemed to have dissipated quite a bit to be replaced by the more content haze of honey and tea. It was an alluring fragrance that pulled Erwin to the back of the hallway. He quickly found himself standing in the doorway of Levi's room instead of the guest bedroom like he’d intended.

A few boxes still sat where they’d been placed when he and Mike had helped more things in, but it was definitely more put together. The bed was piled high with blankets and large, plushy pillows, all of which absolutely radiated, obviously the main source of the omega's scent. Erwin fought his muscles, but something got the best of him and moved him to the edge of the bed instead. His fingers ghosted over the unmade bed and made their way up to one of the pillows. The softness of the cotton pillowcase tickled against the pads of Erwin's hand.

Erwin found his composure falling even more when he suddenly brought the pillow to his face. He held it against his nose with both hands and drew the sweet scent of _Levi_ into his nose. The rich, smooth depth of the tea scent was strongest in the middle of the fabric with an aura of expensive, exotic honey. He found a content feeling settled in his joints, one that could convince him to just stand in this spot all day.

“Ahh, there you are.” Kuchel's words shocked Erwin from his trance.

“O-oh. Uh. I’m sorry. I…um…” He stammered over his words, willed his brain to come with an excuse for why he was standing in her son's room with a pillow shoved against his face like it was a source of life.

“It’s okay. Two bedrooms makes it pretty easy to get turned around in here so don’t worry about it.” The words were said with a smile as she flicked open a brown paper bag. “I was actually coming back here for that.”

“What?” Erwin was confused until Kuchel gestured towards the pillow. “Oh! Oh, here.”

Erwin stepped forward to slip it into the bag. He lett his eyes roam anywhere but the woman's face. Surely, she wouldn’t appreciate an alpha, and a _married_ alpha, at that, snooping around in her house, much less in this room. Kuchel, however, didn’t seem to even notice as she smirked and nodded towards the other room.

“Your husband is outside, by the way.” Kuchel giggled lightly as she made her way back towards the front of the house.

Erwin grabbed the trash bags and broken boxing materials and exited the house. Mike was standing next to the open driver's side door of Kuchel's truck, chatting up a storm as the woman prepared to leave. Erwin tucked the trash into the can and came to stand next to his husband.

“Well, there you are. I thought you’d run off on me.” Mike wrapped an arm around his shoulder but the rest of his body instantly seemed to bristle.

“Nah, just being a friendly neighbor.” He leaned into Mike's hold.

“I really do appreciate you boys helping me the other day and thanks for help with the trash, Erwin.”

“Its really no problem. Don’t ever think we won’t help if we’re home.” Mike's tone mislead the tightness Erwin could feel in the alpha's muscles.

“I’ll make sure Levi and Petra know that. Now, I'll see you guys later. I need to go see my boy.”

They waved the woman out of the driveway, but the instant she was gone Erwin was hauled back into their garage and pressed against Mike's truck. The larger alpha caged him in and nosed his face to the side, forced the man to present his neck. A thick growl rippled through Mike's throat as his breath huffed out across Erwin's skin. Erwin responded with his own deep rumble, a harmonic sound that complimented his husband’s noise.

“Where did…what is…” Mike growled between each roughly-whispered, broken question. His tongue ran a short, thick trail along Erwin's jaw. “Why do you smell like this?”

“I-I picked up h-his pillow.” He gripped Mike's forearms as the alpha pressed against him harder and shoved a knee between his thighs. “I was just – smelled it.”

“Fuck.” Mike was taking deep breaths, inhaling every ounce of Levi's scent that he could from Erwin's skin. “Smells so good.”

They stayed this way for a minute, Erwin thrumming underneath Mike's hold while the larger blonde nosed and licked at him. It was an instant overstimulation for the both of them that sparked out of no where.

Why was this happening? What was it about the omega and his scent that made _both_ of them reactive? He had overreacted in the blink of an eye at the thought of Levi being in the hospital. Erwin had only ever done that for Mike, been willing to drop everything just to make sure he was okay.

“M-Mike. Mike, y-you need to go.” The alpha whined softly when Erwin tried to push him away.

“One…one more minute.” Mike was gentler this time when he pressed his nose into Erwin's scent gland. “Smells so amazing on you.”

“Babe…” Erwin's eye rolled back as Mike licked over the gland.

“I know. I know. Fuck.” The alpha adorned the gland with one more kiss before peeling himself away. “What in the hell is going on?”

“I…I don’t know.” Erwin raked his hands over his face.

They took a moment to catch their breath. Mike smoothed out his dress shirt and passed his hand through his hair. He tossed his briefcase through the open window of the truck before turning to pull Erwin to a hug.

“I love you.” Mike's voice was stern, but gentle.

“I love you, too.” Erwin held him tight as he pressed a kiss to the man's cheek. “Now, go do this paperwork and pretend you might not be leaving for a case.”

“I’ll call you if that happens.” Erwin stepped back just enough to let Mike climb into the car.

“And I’ll keep my ringer on.”

“Stay safe, okay?” Mike stuck his hand out of the open window to caress Erwin's cheek.

“You, too, please.” The car started but Erwin leaned his cheeks into Mike’s hand harder, keeping the appendage in place. “I love you, Michael.”

“I love you too, Erwin.” A thumb caressed over the blonde's cheek and a dreamy smile filled his eyes. “Don’t stress while you’re at work. I need you to be focused. We will figure this out, okay?”

The words themselves were incredibly reassuring, especially when Mike sent out a bloom of protective waves. Erwin responded to them with calming, thankful ones and the garage filled with the smell of a vast wilderness on a beautiful, sunny day. Mike smiled again, a final kiss was exchanged, and in what felt like a split second, Erwin stood in the garage alone as the door wurred closed.

Without the closeness of his partner, Erwin always found himself incredibly tired, like removing the alpha took away every once of energy he had. Erwin took a quick shower and promptly curled up on Mike's side of the bed after setting his alarm for work. It was quick, a couple of hours, but sufficient enough to satisfy him and recharge the energy his body needed for the two-day shift.

The station was buzzing with shift change when Erwin arrived. His team assembled in the main room, aside from one of the rookies who wasn’t present, for team huddle. The start of the shift always included a full inspection of the team gear, which went quickly with practiced ease, before the group broke off to do things of their own. Erwin was going through an inspection of the fire engine when a dual burst of angry alpha waves caught his attention. He followed the sudden flurry around the front of the truck to find four people standing just outside the open doors of the garage.

The rookie, Eren, and another alpha with two-toned hair grumbled angrily between each other. Two omegas huddled together to comfort a sniffling pup as it wriggled between their hands. When the pup wailed, both alphas forgot about one another and thumbed away the tears on the baby's face, but it didn’t seem to help. The blonde omega traced his own hand over each of the alphas before pulling Eren in to rub their necks together; the freckled omega did the same for the other alpha. The waves lessened slightly, but not enough to make Erwin any less cautious. The group exchanged small kisses and nuzzles before Eren bid them a goodbye to step into the station. The others pressed closely together, one omega on each side of the second alpha, and walked back towards the parking lot.

Eren scratched both hands through his hair but stopped walking when Erwin cleared his throat loudly and crossed his arms across his chest. The smaller alpha froze before looking upward at the man as he towered over him. A still-present angry flame flickered behind his eyes as the younger alpha attempted to push his waves down.

“Jaegar. You’re late.” Erwin wouldn’t lie, he was frustrated with the man.

“Y-yes, sir. I-I-I'm so sorry. It won’t happen again. I swear.” His fingers twitched in the air at his sides.

“I would hope not. A bad mark in your file before the end of your first year here wouldn’t be good.” Erwin watched as the words tried to settle into the younger man's skin, but he was still too fired up to let them. “Okay, my office. Now.”

Both alphas made their way into the station. Eren flopped down into the chair but looked surprised when Erwin sat next to him instead of behind the desk. The smaller alpha was still huffing from the altercation outside and his fingers clenched around the arms of the chair.

“Eren, a few people have come to me with concerns about you. Not that I haven’t noticed, but they tell me that since the birth of your pup, you’ve seemed more heated at work. Is there something going on at home?” Erwin spoke the question carefully.

Eren's eyes skipped across the carpet below, but after a minute his grip on the chair loosened enough for the color to come back to his knuckles. A sigh heaved it’s way out of Eren's chest and he slumped back into the seat.

“No, sir. If…if anything, home keeps me from going crazy.” He chuckled weakly and shook his head.

“Then what’s going on, Eren? I can’t have you distracted at work. Our lives, and the lives of other people, depend on us being focused, which you haven’t been over the past two months.”

Erwin knew that pups made alphas more on edge, plenty of his coworkers had them. He considered that it may have been the presence of the second alpha, that it may have been Eren's desire to protect his pup, but that seemed less likely to be the answer after seeing them kiss one another. It wasn’t a secret around the station that the rookie and his omega had two other partners in their relationship because he wasn’t afraid to talk about them, but he’d never acted like there was anything bad going on between them.

“It…it’s the daycare, sir. I know. I know that sounds like a stupid excuse, but it is.” Eren leaned forward and braced his elbows against his knees. “There’s an alpha woman that works at the center and, even though we've talked to the director of the place, she blatantly _refuses_ to let our other alpha pick up Naomi. I was late because an argument broke out at the daycare center, so I had to pick Armin up from work because they wouldn’t even give the baby to _me_when I got there.”

“Sounds to me like you need a new center if they aren't going to correct that alpha’s behavior.” Erwin could feel Eren’s waves slowly calming down.

“If it was that easy, we probably would already. They’re incredibly expensive, but Jean and I work for the city and Armin is a student still. Marco works from home, but he can’t do that and watch a baby at the same time.” Eren palmed through his hair again. “It’s all just really fucking stressful.”

“I imagine it is. Why don’t you try talking to Caleb? I know he and his wife went through a few different places before they found the one they liked. Maybe they can help you. Cleo, too, she might have a good recommendation from when her kids were little.” Erwin inwardly sighed when Eren suddenly gave off hopeful waves.

“Really? Fuck, I didn’t even think about that.” Eren relaxed a bit and rubbed his face with both hands.

“Yeah, well, you’re part of this team now. That’s why we’re here for. Try relying on us every once in a while.” They both chuckled into the air. “You just have to work on controlling your emotions at work.”

“I know, Sarge. Between the daycare, the pup, and all of us trying to get settled in the same house, it’s just been a bit overwhelming. I’ll make it right with the team, I promise.”

“That won’t be necessary. We just need you on top of your game.” Erwin clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. They sat there for a moment until a curiosity bubbled to the surface of his mind. “So, all four of you in the same house, huh? Must be quite an adjustment.”

“Believe it or not, it really wasn’t that bad. Like, sure, getting all of our schedules to line up was like pulling teeth, but we made it work. I’ll tell you the best thing about it, though, is how happy the baby is.” The way Eren smiled when mentioning his pup made Erwin happy. “She’s the most important person to all of us and there’s nothing more amazing than knowing how loved she is.”

“That’s fantastic.” Erwin couldn’t stop himself from reminiscing on the numerous times he and Mike had discussed starting a family. It really wasn’t that long ago that they talked about it last, but between their busy careers and the price of the adoption process, they hadn’t pushed the agenda yet.

“It’s not every day that you find a couple completely content with coming into a relationship knowing they’ll be raising a baby. So, I’d have to agree with you on that one.”

Erwin watched every stitch of tension leave Eren's body over the few minutes that they spoke. In this moment, though, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to Levi, hoping the omega's surgery had gone well and that his mother had made it to him safely. That made Erwin think of another question.

“I’m kind of curious about something else, if you don’t mind me asking.” Erwin continued when Eren nodded at him. “How did you and Armin know? Jean and Marco, I mean. Like, how did you know you guys were meant to be together?”

Eren opened his mouth but snapped it closed again. His hand settled on his chin as a deep, concentrated look appeared on his face. He hummed softly, but just as he turned to answer, an alarm suddenly started blaring. It was a deafening sound, but one that signaled to the pair that it was time to get to work. They both jumped out of their chair and headed for the door.

“I guess you just know when you know, you know?” He then twisted the knob, pulled the door open, and raced down the hall.

Erwin stood there in shock for a second. Was it really that easy? Was it possible to just meet someone and know? It had to be because that’s what it was like meeting Mike for the first time. He’d known the alpha was going to be his husband from the first time their eyes met, but was it possible for that to happen twice?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This MAY be edited later after my beta has 100% finished with it. They got about halfway done but are about to start a CHAOTIC work week and wanted to post it because I have no self control 😂😂😂
> 
> ALL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS WOUKD BE LOVED AND APPRECIATED ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all comments and suggestions are totally welcome!
> 
> You can find me on Twitter @juniperkilljoy for more content!!!
> 
> I love yall and thank you for reading!!


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